SEVERAL new appointments bring to the National Theatre much experience and talent. Belfast born Karin McCully, who previously worked as dramaturg at the Abbey and who has replaced Christopher Fitz Simon as Literary Director, studied dramatic criticism and dramaturgy at Yale and taught at Yale, before returning home to work at the Abbey - she is planning some time to fit in a PhD on modern Irish drama. Dorothea Melvin says she considers it likely that a new dramaturg will be appointed shortly.

The new Outreach Director, Kathy McArdle, is a most respected for in the field of community arts, having worked with Route 36 in Ballymun and the Rialto Youth Theatre. McArdle's brief is to link the National Theatre with constituencies which have up to now felt little connection with it, such as young people and people in disadvantaged communities. Conall Morrison, a young Northern director, joins Brian Brady as a staff director and Andrea Ainsworth becomes the Abbey's first permanent voice coach.

FOR the second year in succession, Throwing Shapes theatre company has received funding from the European Union Kaleidoscope Programme. Pictured right are (from left) Jack Walsh, Delia Scaife and Rose Henderson in this year's production, The King of the Great Clock Tower by W.B. Yeats, a multimedia event, which embraces film, dance, music and live theatre and runs from Tuesday at 1.15 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily, at Arthouse - phone 01-6056800 to book.