This was the first Festival to be held in the new Playhouse and all three sets of plays were performed in-the-round, as was explained in the following programme note:
NEW PLAYS in a flexible theatre
"After the vast open stage area used for BRAND, and the relatively small picture frame stage in which DANDY DICK was presented, we try out another of the stage forms possible in our new theatre for this Festival of New Plays, all of which are presented in the round. This, of course, is nothing new for The Questors, for last year's NEW PLAYS FESTIVAL was presented in the round in the improvised conditions of the Stanislavsky Room. While the conditions in the new theatre should be an improvement on those of the Stanislavsky Room, it is fair to mention that we have been prepared to accept a degree of improvisation for theatre in the round, until experience has shown us whether it is in fact a theatre form we wish to explore further.
"For the repertory conditions of the Festival, simplicity of presentation is essential. In the round as a stage form therefore seems to lend itself well".
"POP" (A Revue)
Libretto by Vincent McQueen and Michael Green
Music by Vincent McQueen, Don Kincaid and Tchaikovsky
Directed by Laurence Nixon
Cast:
Kay Eldridge, Carla Field, Michael Green, Paul Imbusch, Don Kincaid, Vincent Mcqueen, Kenneth Ratcliffe, Mavis Sage
(What the Papers Said about the Revue)
A Theatrical Experiment in the new Playhouse Three unconventional pieces :
- SIX by Patrick Smith
- FAIRGROUND MUSIC by Fred Willetts
- NATHAN AND TABILETH by Barry Bermange
Poets Reading Their Poems
George Macbeth, Vernon Scannell, John Smith, introduced by Dannie Abse. #
A Children's Concert presented by the Questors Music Club
- HISTORY AND DELOPMENT OF WIND INSTRUMENTS by Eric McGavin
- PETER AND THE WOLF
An exhibition of paintings
by Brian Crouch, Carolyn Stafford, Wendy Yeio, Brian Bottlomley and Michael Le Tissier
Theatrical personalities leading the after show discussions included:
Roy Walker, Robert Rietty, John Allen, E. Martin Browne, Robert Gittings, Michael Warre, John Russell Taylor, Martin Esslin