Nothing brings a work of art to life like a proper denunciation. Excellent touches like the involuntary giggle that suddenly cascades here through Beatrice's sobs for her friend bring home the bittersweet awkwardness of the situation: that it has taken a near-tragedy to make her and Benedick drop their masks and admit to love.These subtle characterisations are at the centre of a (roughly Thirties feel) production of bold concepts and striking design. No wonder some of the itinerant thesps here feel, punningly, a shadow of their former selves. It is to be hoped that Mr Yeltsin and his modernisers will win the street battles, but the political opposition will continue. The island's Governor, Pedro Rossello, who spearheaded the campaign to become the US 51st state, conceded defeat but urged supporters to continue fighting for the cause..

MARIE BERRY, 37, knew at 16 that she did not want to get married. In 1969, the de Latour family sold BV to Heublein for dollars 8.5m, a move Tchelistcheff described as 'a tragedy' He remained there until 1973, when he resigned. As Abbado says, all this is more pronounced when Rimsky's refinements are removed.But is de-Rimskying Boris all gain? What about the old charge that Mussorgsky was technically clumsy? 'Most of it was based on misunderstanding, I think, particularly when it comes to harmony or rhythm, or the character of the vocal line. About 1.5 million visits from Taiwan to the mainland are made every year, including 300,000 tourist trips. SIR GEOFF MULCAHY, executive chairman of Kingfisher, received pounds 1,314,000 in salary and pension contributions last year, a 52 per cent increase on the previous year. In 1990 the signal was given and some 2,000 of them took their guns, stole what they could from the Uganda army stores and drove into Rwanda. We have only recently dropped a full- scale planned economy, but we find quiet handshakes are still a better way of running things than so-called open competition.