THE phrase 'damning with faint praise' immediately sprung to mind when reading Charles Hutchinson's comments on York Settlement Players' excellent production of Noel Coward's Relative Values at the Friargate Theatre.

This production ably demonstrated that Settlement Players have no problem in rising to the challenges inherent in a play of this calibre requiring, as it does, comic timing that is spot-on and an awareness of period detail.

Mr Hutchinson's admittedly "trifling" criticisms relating to trouser length and a piece of cotton denigrate this well-acted professional production, and the fact that he found it necessary to comment on such trivialities does, I feel, say more about him than the actors. Is it possible that he is a frustrated actor who consequently feels the need to criticise anyone with manifest abilities in this field?

I hope none of your theatre-going readers were deterred from treating themselves to a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

On reflection, however, I feel this would be unlikely, because I cannot be alone in considering his regular waspish observations positive endorsement of a production.

As such, maybe he does have a function, after all.

Susan E Towle,

Grange Garth, York.

Updated: 10:25 Thursday, April 05, 2001