THESPIAN Christine Smith could hardly believe her eyes when she picked up her copy of the Examiner on Monday.

For there on our Mailbag page was a nostalgic picture of Huddersfield Thespians taken in 1961, which showed that nothing much changes.

Forty-six years ago, the Thespians were bringing down the curtain on their season with a production of a Hugh Mills' comedy Angels In Love, which was produced by Norah Burrows.

Pictured centre stage was actress Enid Luty with fellow cast members Richard Blakeway and Kenneth Turner.

Enid was seated on a sofa which coincidentally is also gracing the set of her latest play, a production of another comedy, Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, which is running all this week at the Lawrence Batley Theatre.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw that picture with Enid sitting on the very same sofa that we are using in our show this week," said Christine, a former Thespian president who this week is in charge of all the props used in the show.

The sofa it seems, has literally become part of the furniture for Thespian productions.

It has seen many make-overs in its 40 plus years and for this current production has been given many hours of tlc.

"It has been repainted for this show and one of the backstage team has spent many hours painstakingly picking out the decoration in gold so that it looks as if it is gilded.

"We keep a lot of furniture as well as props and costumes and this particular sofa has moved with us quite a number of times," said Christine.

Enid is not appearing in the current show but is directing it. We got her to take a seat on the sofa though - for old times' sake.

* The show continues tonight and tomorrow at 7.30pm with a matinee tomorrow at 2pm.