On TV

Born With Two Mothers (C4)

THE whole idea of Ray Mear's Bushcraft sounds so unlikely. I mean, an entire hour devoted to watching him build a canoe in a programme lacking the fast pace and flashy editing of most series these days.

This particular slice of reality TV also moved at a snail's pace and was totally devoid of the fancy tricks that display the editor's playbox but give viewers a headache.

Like the traditional methods used to make the birch bark canoe, series like this are dying out. The hull is made from the skin of the tree itself, with a frame of cedar, and the whole thing is lashed together with roots.

"For me, these are the finest craft people have ever created," declared Mears as he set about learning to make his own. I don't think there was ever any doubt that he would succeed and not be left up you-know-what creek without a paddle.

There was an odd fascination watching him splitting wood, shaving wood and bending wood as the canoe took shape over a week. Even a hail storm failed to dampen his enthusiasm. "Terrific storms like that are wonderful to be out in", he said.

It was all "part of the canoe's birthing". By now I was beginning to worry he was growing too attached to his creation. "It's quite exciting," he said, pointing out the herons flying overhead and the sound of bullfrogs in the background.

Once he started talking to the wood, I knew he'd lost it as he described the process as "a combination of listening to what the wood wants to do and what you want to do to the wood".

The dilemma facing two couples in Born With Two Mothers put both of them in a no-win situation, after an IVF mix-up resulted in a white woman giving birth to the child of a black couple.

The law is that the woman who delivers the baby is the mother. If only life was as simple as that. Inevitably, the case ended up in court, where the judge noted unnecessarily that one or other of the couples involved would leave the court upset and disturbed.

The drama was given an added twist by having actors play the couples and real professionals as the doctors, lawyers and psychologists. They reacted to the actors' improvised dialogue. A judge not a scriptwriter decided the final outcome.

This was a unique way of exploring an issue that inevitably wreaked emotional havoc among everyone involved. Lesley Sharp and Sophie Okenedo both showed disbelief turning to certainty that the baby was rightfully theirs as the drama unravelled.

The law in these matters can be a bit of an ass although, to be fair, the judgment handed down - that the black parents would cater best for the emotional and cultural needs of baby Joe - seemed the right one, no matter how hard on the birth mother.

Die Fledermaus, Darlington Operatic Society, Darlington Civic Theatre

ENTERTAINMENT might be the new religion, but the society seems to be praying for good fortune after being forced to drop plans for Jesus Christ Superstar to celebrate its Diamond Jubilee Year and opting for an ambitious version of Johan Strauss's comic operetta. A small opening audience does not bode well for a ten-night run when the hard-working amateurs have put together a beautifully costumed, and lavishly set show with a full 23-piece orchestra.

Recent audiences have welcomed the more contemporary songs of West Side Story, Copacabana and Guys And Dolls, so the waltz king's masterpiece is a test for both viewers and cast. Director/choreographer Martyn Knight uses his singing resources as best he can for this tale of jealous and wandering-eyed Gabriel von Eisenstein (the lusty-voiced David Curtis) being taught a marital lesson by his friend Dr Falke (Kevin Murray). Eisenstein is tricked into attending a lavish party instead of reporting to prison for a minor misdemeanour. His wife Rosalinda (Avril Blain), maid Adele (Susan Limbert) and gaol governor Frank (Trevor Allen) are also secretly on the guest list. Limbert's confident and controlled singing performance is at least one prayer answered and the comedy of Gary Winn, as drunken jailer Frosch, and Allen, as the equally imbibed Frank, are real crowd-pleasers. You can't fault this production in terms of effort but not all soloists are as comfortable with the songs of 1870s Vienna as they'd like to be. Oklahoma (Oct 26-Nov 5) may be the answer.

* Runs until April 30. Box Office: (01325) 486555

Viv Hardwick