THE Steward Of Christendom, Sebastian Barry's much acclaimed play about an RIC man who tragically finds himself to be an anachronism in the brand, new Irish state, shone a different light on the formation of the State than did Michael Collins. It is bound to be enjoyed, but may cause some puzzlement, in the BAM Majestic Theatre, New York, where the Out Of Joint production with Donal Mc Cann in the lead role, will open on January 18th.

In London, our own critic was exhilarated by Martin Mc Donogh's new play, The Cripple Of Inishmaan, which opened on Tuesday at the National Theatre in London (see review below). Unfortunately, of the London papers, only the London Standard went to the trouble of publishing an overnight review, and it was less enthusiastic: "There's a gratuitous, sado masochistic relish in Mc Donagh's portrait of the cripple as a subject for amusement," writes Nicholas de Jongh. "Real theatrical flair and promise is being misdirected."

Oh well, in the best theatrical circles, a mixed bag of reviews is regarded as a wily fox might regard a field of scattered hounds, with very few on the scent at all.