. . . and Then We Have the Critics : <i> Uniting disparate art events around a common theme in a three-month festival setting is quite a challenge. How successful was the UK/LA ’88 Festival in doing that? An assessment follows: : </i>

Stage

As far as theater events went, UK/LA was largely a conceptual event.

The big set piece was to have been a week of performances by the National Theatre of Great Britain at the Doolittle Theatre, plus workshops and seminars at UCLA. But the National had union problems at home and had to cancel. The company may play Royce Hall next season.

The Taper presented two UK/LA events: Anthony Minghella’s London hit, “Made in Bangkok,” and David Cale’s one-man show, “The Redthroats.” The festival negotiated some financial aid for the former. But each show was in the Taper pipeline before the festival and might have played here in any case.

The Odyssey’s UK/LA entry was to have been a new play by Steven Berkoff, “Acapulco.” Berkoff got a movie so the theater did John Godber and Jane Thornton’s “Shakers” instead. UK/LA’s contribution was “basically a banner,” said the Odyssey’s Ron Sossi.

L.A. Theatre Works announced, but couldn’t quite deliver, Timberlake Wertenbaker’s “The Grace of Mary Traverse.” It may happen later in the year.

But L.A. Classic Theatre Works did collaborate with the BBC on two gripping radio shows--”The Crucible” and “Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?” The latter was recorded live, and UK/LA picked up the check for the audience party.

In sum: not enough. Perhaps UK/LA didn’t want to push theater too hard, considering how many foreign companies had come to town during the L.A. Festival. But a British arts festival without a strong theatrical component is like a roast-beef dinner minus the roast beef.