Adam Lynford calls for a classical drama fringe in his letter about Polly Toynbee's appointment as chair of Brighton Dome and Festival (November 24).

I, too, share his love of classic drama and enjoy the excellent productions which visit the Theatre Royal throughout the year, such as the English Touring Company's production of Hamlet last week, and I look forward to seeing Incisor Theatre's Twelfth Night as part of Brighton Dome's forthcoming spring season.

However, the point of the Brighton Festival is to put on things you can't see during the rest of the year and to create new productions, such as Frantic Assembly's Dirty Wonderland, which can only be seen in Brighton at the time of the Festival.

By seeing another culture's interpretation of Shakespeare, for example, we learn a lot about our own understanding of great works or by hearing Chekhov in its original Russian, as we did with the extraordinary actors of the Maly Theatre of St Petersburg this year, we get a deeper insight into the play.

I'm proud of the calibre of international talent Brighton Festival draws, making the city a showcase for the best in new theatre, music, dance and performance, by local and international artists.

I can assure Mr Lynford, when the Festival is announced on February 22 next year, it will contain its usual mix of extraordinary arts events which you can't see at any other time of the year - some might even be in English.

-Nick Dodds, chief executive, Brighton Festival