WAKE up, people of Hampstead. You have superb fringe theatre right on your doorstep. Pentameters entrance is around the corner from the The Horseshoes pub entrance. I took two friends there to see James Dean is Dead . . . Long Live James Dean. I had nev

WAKE up, people of Hampstead. You have superb fringe theatre right on your doorstep.

Pentameters' entrance is around the corner from the The Horseshoes pub entrance. I took two friends there to see James Dean is Dead . . . Long Live James Dean. I had never seen any of his movies, but knew he had met his end in an horrific car accident.

The play was riveting - superb, and I was shocked, alarmed, delighted and totally mesmerised by this young actor. It is not for the faint-hearted. I learned so much but I always love these one-man shows and we should have many more of them. Why doesn't somebody do Marilyn now?

However, I digress. My point is that there were barely half a dozen people in the audience. Leonie Scott-Matthews told me that they put on a show even if only one person turns up and said that the audience was probably due to the bank holiday - lots of people are away.

True, but Pentameters is rarely jammed to the rafters, unlike the King's Head, Almeida, etc.

Why does everyone flock to the cinema when there is an amazing experience just a couple of blocks down the street? Hampstead is full of actors. Where are they? Give our wonderful Pentameters a chance and you'll be hooked.

DOROTHY CLARK

Leighton Road, NW5