Forster’s drama lost amid a musical cacophony
sir – I was interested to read your report (November 14) that a lot of viewers gave up on the BBC’S new drama, Howards End, due to sound problems.
For me the music was an appalling cacophony that set my teeth on edge. I kept hoping it would improve, but in vain.
The final straw was seeing one of our established actresses having a meal and talking while waving her knife around. That would certainly not have happened at that date. Some 14 minutes in, I switched off in despair. Hilda Gaddum
Macclesfield, Cheshire
sir – Delightful music in Howards End. So pleasant, I quickly fell asleep. Can anyone tell me what happened? Helen Jones
Ludlow, Shropshire
sir – The true cause of inaudible dialogue on television, and on film, is the dreadful diction of modern actors and their self-absorption in the role. Method acting is the culprit, as actors become so introverted that they live in their characters and forget that the audience needs to hear them, too.
Konstantin Stanislavski invented the Method, but he did also expect his actors to be audible. John Bromley-davenport
Malpas, Cheshire
sir – As the country gets the opportunity to watch a new production of Howards End, it is worth remembering that EM Forster’s novel was inspired by his time living at Rooks Nest House on the outskirts of Stevenage, from 1883 to 1893.
There, he developed a great affection for the farmhouse and the surrounding countryside. Known locally as Forster Country, this is an area of farmland that Stevenage Borough Council plans to remove from the green belt in order to build 800 houses. North Hertfordshire county council plans to build a further 1,000 houses on the adjacent land.
The hearings for the government inspector’s examination of the Stevenage Local Plan took place earlier in the year. Sadly, we have just had notice that the findings of this examination made no major changes to any aspect of the plan, so it looks like another area of rural England will be lost. Bob Carter
Stevenage, Hertfordshire