Thanks for the reply,
I found after Posted that the story editor font was in white, so worked ok with a dark background. As far as the theme goes, I used default settings on Scribus since I first installed it about two years ago, and didn't realise it had alternative themes available. I have just gone through the settings and found a theme however that isn't horrendously bright, so thanks for that, much appreciated. At least I can see what icons are what.
Could I ask you further about what you say regarding usage of story editor please? I only use it if I require font changes, such as alignment, size, bold, superscript or even outline on fonts that don't have a bold version. Are you saying that these can be done outside story editor?
I am a little green with Scribus, and having cognition and memory issues from prescription medication withdrawal, so being confronted with a lot of information such as a manual is a little daunting, and I am slowly learning what an excellent and powerful application Scribus is, mainly via trial and error; with research on specific issues. Having joined the official forums now, I expect to get better with it over time.