In October 2010 the Centre for Performance Research and the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies hosted a fourth research seminar on the International Theatre Collection. Participants Alison Forsyth, Rich Allen, Sarah Thomas and Stephen Greer were invited into the collection and asked to talk for five minutes about items that had provoked their interest. The presenters have kindly allowed their informal talks and notes to be deposited here and we would like to welcome everyone to our next seminar on the collection which will be held in Spring 2011. These are informal notes and ideas rather than formal research papers but should still be understood as copyright of the individual writers.