FEBRUARY 1997 UNIVERSITY’S £80,000 BID FOR ORTON PAPERS TIN LEICESTER University is Theatre, has agreed to launching a major appeal to become a patron of the secure a piece of literary fundraising campaign history for the nation. and we are currently A gala performance of Joe approaching several Orton’s What the Butler Saw other prominent on Friday February 14 will figures who have mark the launch of an £80,000 connections with LEICESTER-BORN: appeal which would ensure Orton and Leicester to Joe Orton Orton’s literary works stay in ask them to become his birthplace. Patrons.” But it is a race against time - The papers consist of the important collection of annotated typescripts, notes INSIDE papers by the playwright has and many unpublished works been offered to the University which represent a gold mine http://www.le.ac.uk/ by its present owners on for Orton scholars. LE condition that the University Born in Leicester in 1933, Joe GUN CONTROL: raises the money in time. Orton left school at 16 and INVESTIGATION The papers would form a trained as an actor before BY CENTRE valuable addition to the turning to writing; his first full RESEARCHERS growing collection of rare length play, Entertaining Mr PAGE: 5 books and manuscripts held in Sloane, was staged in the Leicester University Library. West End in 1964. His stylish Orton’s sister, Leonie Barnett, black comedies, with their said that her brother and sister emphasis on corruption and agreed with her that “Leicester sexual perversion, are University Library would be an frequently performed excellent place for the Orton throughout the world, and still papers. It is particularly have the power to shock. This CLASSROOM appropriate as the Orton caused something of a scandal SUPPORT family still lives in the city.” when the plays were first STAFF: A Dr Timothy Hobbs, Librarian performed. NEW STUDY at the University, said: “These Orton was battered to death PAGE: 10 are fascinating papers by one by his lover in 1967; What the of Britain’s leading playwrights Butler Saw was not staged of the 20th century. We very until 1969. Orton’s life was the much hope that we can obtain subject of the film Prick up them for the University, but to your Ears for which Alan do so we must raise £80,000 Bennett wrote the screenplay. LIVELY This year sees the 30th by 30 June. After that, the PROGRAMME: papers will go on sale on the anniversary of Joe Orton’s RICHARD open market and could well death and as part of the BUL ATTENBOROUGH leave the country. commemorative events and CENTRE OFFERS “I am delighted to be able to Leicester University Jubilee DANCE announce that Leicester Year celebrations, Leicester WORKSHOPS University honorary graduate University Theatre will be PAGE: 14 Sir Peter Hall, Artistic Director staging a production of What of the Old Vic and former the Butler Saw from 12-15 Director of the National February. BULLETIN: Your award-winning newsletter - Heist Marketing Awards 1996 NEWS VOLUME 29 £400,000 FOR ASTHMA NUMBER 5 RESEARCH MEDISEARCH, the charitable foundation spearheading medical research within the teaching hospitals, has been able to put FEBRUARY 1997 up some £400,000 to enable the establishment of an Infant Asthma Research Centre here in Leicester. Retiring Director Reggie Purbrick said: “This is a real coup NEWS......................1-13 for the University which will head up the research under Professor Mike Silverman, Head of the Child Health FEATURES/ Department. It is also an exciting development for the ARTSTOP..............14-18 Leicester Royal Infirmary Children’s Hospital, which will be CUTTINGS.................20 collaborating in the research. Above all it is great news for the people of this city!” PEOPLE......................21 Colonel Purbrick added: “I am delighted to have been able to find this money for such a thoroughly worthwhile project. ACADEMIC It will complement our establishment of a Chair of SERVICES ............22-23 Dermatology in the University two years ago and bring to about a million pounds Medisearch’s investment into clinical A.O.B....................24-25 medical research here in Leicestershire. “I have to pay tribute to Lord Crawshaw of Long Whatton, RESEARCH...........26-27 to our Asian community and to all the Trustees who have NOTICES..............28-30 supported my efforts over the last four years.” SPORTS .....................31 CROSSWORD Back Page BUSINESS PROFILE THE new edition of LABA Newsnet, the quarterly BULLETIN magazine for the city's The Bulletin aims to publish news and features which Asian business inform staff and students of developments affecting the University, and to report on the decisions of Council community has been and Senate. published. Tell us your news! We welcome stories and pictures The magazine has from individuals and departments, so send your copy to been edited by Ather the Editor in Press and Alumni Relations, Registrar’s Mirza, the University’s Office. The closing date for the next issue is Friday 21st Director of Press and February for publication in the first week of March. The Editor reserves the right to amend or abbreviate copy Alumni Relations, who without notice. is also a Director of The Bulletin is edited in Press and Alumni Relations. the Leicestershire Small advertisements (up to 30 words in length) should Asian Business be accompanied by cheques, payable to University of Association. Leicester, at the following rates: The magazine House sales and lettings: £5.00 Other sales and services: £2.00 features the University Prices for display advertisements are available on request. Please contact Julie Franks, Marketing Officer prominently - a LUSU, extn 1168, to whom all adverts should be sent. cheque presentation Private, non-commercial announcements are carried free to Reggie Purbrick of charge, subject to space. of Medisearch, for Editor: Ather Mirza (Extn 3335) asthma research at the University; the gift of a 10th anniversary cake from Deputy Editor: Barbara Whiteman (Extn 2676) People, Books, Research, Cuttings, Notices, Artstop. the University is featured on the cover; articles by Politics student Chris Smith look at Psychology research by Dr David Hargreaves Reporter: Judith Shaw and Dr Adrian North, research in the Management Centre and an Contributors: Jane Pearson, Peter Allen and article on the 'black economy' has been provided by economist Dr other members of staff Dilip Bhattacharyya. Newsline: 0116 252 3335 * Leicester University's own business magazine Business Advertising: 0116 223 1168 Interface is being distributed in March. Full report in the March edition of the Bulletin. 2 NEWS STARS IN THE EYES ‘ASTRONAUT WANTED - NO applicants hoping to take EXPERIENCE NECESSARY’ part in the project. Against these massive odds HELEN Sharman, OBE, was driving home and after weeks of from work as a research technologist at exhaustive physical and Mars Confectionery in June 1989, when psychological tests, she she heard that radio advertisement. While was surprised to find that waiting for the traffic lights to change she she had been selected as jotted down the telephone number. one of the final four It proved to be the moment that candidates. changed her life, and last month Her advantages youngsters with stars in their eyes were included her adaptability, given a special opportunity to hear at first and the fact that she was OUT OF THIS WORLD: Dr Sharman enthralled youngsters with her story hand the wonders of space from the first shown to be someone about life in space Briton to go there. who would remain stable She told her story, “Life in Space”, to a and reliable under all circumstances. Also HELEN SHARMAN: capacity crowd of schoolchildren at the in her favour was her ability to get on well Fraser Noble Building, before appearing with other crew members and her sense of later the same day as guest lecturer at one humour. of the events marking the 155th season of Some months later she was down to the the Leicester Literary and Philosophical final two candidates sent for 18 months’ ■ HelenFactfile Sharman was born in Society. gruelling training at the Yuri Gagarin Sheffield, where she went to school Dr Sharman was invited to Leicester Cosmonaut Training Centre in Moscow’s and attended the local university. University by Professor John Holloway, of Star City. ■ She graduated in 1984 with a BSc in the Department of Chemistry, who is There she underwent extensive Chemistry. currently President of the Leicester Literary preparations for coping with ■ After university she worked as an and Philosophical Society. weightlessness, living in a cramped engineer for a division of GEC, then Her evening lecture, “Journey into environment, enduring survival procedures in 1987, while studying part-time for Space”, was sponsored by the Royal and learning to pilot rocket systems, as a PhD at Birkbeck College, London, Society of Chemistry and took place in the well as handling scientific experiments in she worked as a research Rattray Lecture Theatre. space. technologist for Mars Confectionery Dr Sharman spoke about Project Juno, Her reward came when she was selected Ltd, studying the chemical and which was designed as an historical Soviet as the principal choice to journey into physical properties of chocolate and Space Mission in which a UK astronaut space in May 1991 and, as Britain’s first developing new product lines. would be invited to take part and become astronaut, sped at over 18,000 mph ■ the first Briton in space. orbiting the Earth up to sixteen times a day Dr Sharman currently works as a She was one of no less than 13,000 for the eight days of the scientific mission. scientist, and is also one of the country’s leading “Ambassadors for Science”, involving herself with a NATIONAL SPACE SCIENCE CENTRE SUPPORT number of organisations to improve WHILE at the science education in the UK.