To achieve success in fighting any battle the golden rule is to choose the field on which it is to be fought. Unfortunately for Malvern's Theatre trust, the battleground for theatre management has already been chosen by the council as 'best value'. They have also chosen Ambassador Theatre Group as the other protagonist. However, not only is 'best value' a woolly concept, it is also one that cannot be applied in any meaningful way to artistic content or enjoyment. Which, for example, is best value out of The Railway Children and Pure Pucini? How could it begin to be measured? And who is value supposed to be best for?

In practice, the only definable measure of value is a financial one and what 'best value' actually means is 'least cost to the council'. It is here the Malvern Theatre Trust is almost certainly at a disadvantage against the Ambassadors, which has bulk buying capability of productions and materials. Although detailed commercial cases of Malvern Theatre Trust v Ambassador Group will be heard and discussed, therefore, Ambass-adors has been unconsciously (or consciously) handed the advantage by the council in setting 'best value' as the criterion for choice.

There is no doubt that the majority of people in Malvern who have any interest in the theatre want control to be retained locally. But this cannot be achieved by clutching at straws on issues of 'least cost' or 'best artistic value'. The battleground has to be shifted initially to a question of principle: Is it best in principle for Malvern Theatres to be run by, and for the main benefit of, local people - or is it best run by a commercial concern with a profit motive and based outside the area?

If, as seems to be the case, the answer is the former then the question is: "Are we getting a good service from the existing set-up and could it be improved?"

The answer to this has to come from comparing Malvern with other provincial theatres and an eminent theatre consultant has already said yes to both parts of the question. Yes, Malvern Theatres is well run and inexpensive and yes there could be improvements, for example by getting more revenue from the Forum.

Malvern wants the existing theatre management to continue doing a good job and delivering top-class entertainment to the local area. The battle should be fought on how this can be achieved and how improvements can be introduced, not on how someone else might be offered the chance to make a profit at our expense.

Clive Wilkins, Castlemorton.