Sir, – William Cobbett, born in Farnham and buried in St Andrew's Church, is being written about extensively at the moment in the national press. This is mainly because a new biography by Richard Ingrams called The Life and Adventures of William Cobbett has just been released and is being reviewed by some of our finest journalists. The book has also just been serialised on Radio 4. It would seem therefore that New Farnham Repertory Company has chosen just the right moment to launch a play competition – as written about in The Farnham Herald last week – about this "man of quite extraordinary passion, energy and principle". I am already receiving telephone calls from writers in Liverpool, Oxford, Kent, etc as a result of the editorial appearing in such prestigious publications as the Times Literary Supplement. Some of our finest plays have been written about historical characters but amazingly this is the fourth biography that has been written about William Cobbett but, as yet, no play of note has been published. It is fitting, therefore, that a Farnham-based professional company should throw its hat into the ring before the National Theatre or the Royal Court does. The only difference being, of course, is that they would have the money to perform it and we will have to go out and look for the resources needed once we have found the play, but, I am confident we will. Readers may be interested to know that the idea came to me last year when our NFRC actors were rehearsing Our Town for performance in St Andrew's Church. During a break in rehearsals I saw some of them, script in one hand, a sandwich in the other, sitting near Williams Cobbett's gravestone. It was obvious; it just had to be. The actors will be back again soon rehearsing, among other things, Racing Demon by David Hare – one of our most brilliant modern dramatists and this is one of his finest plays. I think William Cobbett would have approved. Hannah Williams, NFRC director, Crossborough Hill, Basingstoke