'(irking? "•'hievement. I) 1 na s mandai, fuation 4 “as to be^ ; 'aid Piph 0 , me 'dd be re a( | v Talented ‘Prospect" takes over Britain’s best loved theater United Press International LONDON — One bright new promise on the London stage is the Prospect Theater Company’s cur rent demonstration that there’s life in the Old Vic yet. Prospect, probably Britain’s best little-known company, has taken over the country’s best-loved thea ter for an initial season of five plays. The hope is that the arrangement will become permanent. For all of its 14 years, Prospect has been a touring company, con stantly on the move in this country and abroad. Yet it has consistently snared half a dozen of Britain’s finest actors for productions excelled only by the massively subsidized giants, the Na tional Theater and the Royal Shakespeare Company. The time has come, however, ac cording to company chief Toby Robertson, for Prospect to settle down and find a London base. Be sides the advantages of a fixed headquarters, it needs exposure to American and other tourists who buy an increasing bulk of London theater seats. Which brings us to the Old Vic. London’s most famous theater has been like a cast-off courtesan since the National Theater company de camped to its grandiose palace nearby. There have been temporary occupants, but the old girl has found no new relationship which satisfied both parties. Now Prospect has moved in with a trio of riveting productions: an admirable “St. Joan” with Eileen Atkins as the Maid, Derek Jacobi as a well-spoken and princely “Ham let,” and a fascinating exercise in total theater drawn from the Iliad of Homer. In July Prospect goes touring again — to the Eastern Mediterra nean, through Britain and to the Edinburgh Festival. It comes back to the Old Vic in November. This is the pattern Robertson and his company hope to follow from now on — the Old Vic as a base, touring in between. The first Pros pect season at the Vic shows what a valuable addition to London’s thea ter this system could be. Its three productions were cun ningly chosen, apparently inspired by a bombastic quote from George Bernard Shaw: “With the single exception of Homer, there is no eminent writer I can despise so entirely as I despise Shakespeare.” So Prospect presents all three au thors — Shaw, Homer and Shakes peare — one after the other. In some ways Homer fares best. His ancient epic of the fall of Troy, adapted by poet Christopher Logus and retitled “War Music,” is a stunning theatrical experience, rather like a ballet with words.” American dancer William Louther drilled the whole company in dance and choreographed the performance’s every movement. Gary Kettel, a virtuoso drummer, thunders out Donald Fraser’s as tringent music from a platform sus pended above the action. Timothy West is a narrator in casual modern dress, contrasting with savage loincloths on the war- 10 Ok cans CHECK THESE PRICES ON FROZEN FOODS ORANGE Piggly Wiggly 6 OZ ^ JUICE «f ““l STRAWBERRIES ."<% 99 COOKIN' Banquet 5 oz BAGS H ^ 1 Dinner Size er Compartment CHINET PWTES 15 * BAKERY SPECIALS Praline *409 CAKE Submarine ROLLS .