ENG-1957 — Page 336

PRESS, BROADCASTING, TELEVISION, FILMS AND TOURISM 287

resulted in much more being done for children and women listeners. For women there was a regular domestic forum, a women's letterbox, request programmes, etc., and for children special plays, general knowledge, stories and singing.

One of the most successful programme series of the year was the B.B.C. English by Radio lessons. There are 150 lessons in all, prepared and recorded in London in both Cantonese and Kuoyü and broadcast four times a week in Radio Hong Kong's Chinese service. The texts of the lessons have been translated and published locally in booklet- form the first edition, containing the first 50 lessons, sold over 18,000 copies; the second booklet of 50 lessons sold 7,300 copies; and the third booklet is due for publication during 1958. In addition, an initial order of 500 copies, was placed with the publisher by the Government Public Rela- tions Department in Thailand.

English Service. The English service of Radio Hong Kong concentrated on improving the quality and quantity of live programmes.

To improve and increase the number of live drama pro- ductions a general drama audition was held in May so that all available talent could be used. The group of actors which resulted from this audition works under the title of 'Radio Hong Kong Actors Studio', and among the plays produced during the year 'Brotherhood of Fear', a thriller serial written and set in Hong Kong, was the most ambitious. Both the Stage Club and the Garrison Players contributed plays regularly, the Stage Club producing, among others, a series of six plays under the general title 'Ministering Angels' written by Miss Janet Tomblin of the British Council. Christopher Fry's 'A Sleep of Prisoners' was pro- duced for the Festival of the Arts.

The British Council again gave considerable assistance in obtaining books from publishers in the United Kingdom for review.