[{"node":{"title":"Boyd098","Collections":"Boyd Letters","Contributor":"Boyd Estate","Coverage":"1979 Mar 20th","Creator":"Linen Hall Library","Date":"Wednesday, March 16, 2016","Format":"TIFF","Identifier":"Boyd098","Item Description":"Letter","Keywords":"Judgement, Playwright","Language":"English","Path":"https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/boyd098","Publisher":"Linen Hall Library","Relation":"Linen Hall Library","Rights":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA","Scanned image":{"src":"https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Boyd098_1.jpg","alt":""},"Source":"LHL Archive","Transcript":"\ufeffFrom: John Boyd, 28 Rosetta Avenue,\nBelfast 7.\n20th march 1979\n\nTo: The Editor,\nThe Sunday News\nCentury Newspapers Ltd.,\n51 Donegal Street Belfast 1\nFor Favour of Publication\n\nSir,\n\nTruly, 'A Sleep of Reason' would seem to have settled on your drama\nreviewer. In one of her two articles in your issue of 18th March she\nhas attributed to me two plays I did not write; but, for her information,\nI did write The street and The Flats.\n\nComment is free, but I sha11 make little comment on your reviewer's\njudgment of my current play at the Lyric Theatre, Facing North.\nHowever, I must correct further factual mistakes on her part. It is\nsurely obligatory for a reviewer to read a theatre programme. Your\nreviewer cannot have a done so in this instance: the time end place in\nFacing North are clearly stated there - as well as in the text. Also\nthe Black Mountain is outlined in Shirley Bork's admirable set, even to\nthe detail of the television mast (illuminated at night). Another\nfactual point: there are no Union leaders portrayed in this play:\nyour reviewer must have been asleep. Two factory workers, yes; but\nit is stated clearly that tne Union refused to participate in the\ndispute.\n\nYour reviewer commented on the acting, particularly that of Louis Rolston.\nMr. Rolston appears to be your reviewer\u2019s bete noire, if I may use\ncliche. Your reviewer's term 'cliched' is neither English or French.\nIn my view Mr. Rolston should not be given the lion's share of blame'\nfor this 'appallingly bad play'. That honour', I'm glad to say, rests\nwith me, the author. Mr, Rolston is one of the finest actors in Ireland,\nand for Carmel McQuaid to think otherwise is to display her ignorance of\nacting. Furthermore, to assert that, with one exception, r.Rolston did\nnot react to any incident is demonstrably untrue. Once again, your\nreviewer must have been enjoying her 'Sleep of Reason'\nShe professes ' to hate to send r. Holsten under the yoke again'. Likewise\nI hate to send M/s .McQuaid under my yoke for the first and (I hope) last\ntime.Her knowledge of drama is negligible; her presumption enormous;\nher taste abysmal. Manifestly her review displays both ignorance and\nilliteracy.\n\nMy distinguished predecessor, Bernard Shaw, taught me self- advertisement,\na lesson wiiich I digested, but have never as yet put into practice.\nShaw's own phrase was 'beating his own big drum'. I confess your\nreviewer impresses me in one aspect of her own difficult craft: I admit\nto being her inferior in flagellation.\n\nA playwright should of course welcome informed criticism, and I do; but\nthere are occasions when attention must be drawn to critical imcompetence.\nThis is one those occasions. I suggest that your readers come to the\nLyric Theatre and judge this production for themselves.\n\nYours etc.\n\n(John Boyd)\n","Type":"Text"}}]