I am heartened by this newspaper's efforts to organise the M1-The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards, including the publicity it gives to many theatre companies and professionals.

Some of the familiar names in the winners' list are Ivan Heng and Glen Goei (Best Director, Hotel) and Adrian Pang (Best Actor, The LKY Musical), who are all at least 50 years old. There is a pressing need for Singapore's theatre pioneers to pass on the torch to the younger generation to promote a continuity of the arts.

The new generation, as represented by Siti Khalijah Zainal (Best Actress, Off Centre), 30, should carry the baton.

Jeremy Cheong Weng Kee