Regarding your interview with Anthony Hopkins (3 November), in any discussion of the influences on his career, such as that of Laurence Olivier, I believe David Scase should also be mentioned. It was Scase, as director of productions at the Library theatre, Manchester, who gave Hopkins his first major professional engagement, and when Scase moved to the Liverpool Playhouse in 1963, Hopkins went with him.
As house manager of the Playhouse, I saw Scase assemble a quite outstanding young company, including, apart from Hopkins, Patrick Stewart, Sara Kestelman, Marjorie Yates, Warren Clarke, Philip Hedley and Peter Needham. David Scase nurtured these talented young actors – and too often I feel his influence has been overlooked.
Colin Lovelace
Anglet, France
