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The trials and tribulations (not to mention joys) of a theatre reviewerDateline: 17th November, 2002After spending your first year as a theatre reviewer working for AccountingWeb, a site for the most exciting profession in the world with no previous theatre links, anything afterwards is easy. Rejection is the name of the game and credibility is very hard to come by. The opportunity to work with Peter Lathan at the British Theatre Guide was provided by that excellent Scottish playwright, David Greig. If he hadn't demanded an exceptionally elaborate set for Casanova, we wouldn't have been standing around outside the theatre waiting for it to be fixed. We fell into conversation and immediately agreed that I should trial as London reviewer for the site. A year later without a cross word or any editorial argument, I trust I am fully ensconced as the chief London reviewer for the British Theatre Guide. This job entails going to the theatre anything up to six nights a week and filing reviews at 9.30 the following morning. While it can sometimes seem a little daunting, it is very rarely hard work and the joys of seeing fantastic actors in tremendous plays make-up for everything. In the first year of the site, I have seen and reviewed about 200 plays of which 190 were at least watchable and a large number very good indeed. I also now feel as if I'm a member of a very select community of theatre journalists. These vary from the likes of Michael Billington and Charles Spencer one end of the scale (I have actually sat between these two at the Royal Court) and students who do not appear to have been to play in their lives before working for strange journals at the Edinburgh Festival. I've also had my fair share of battles with press officers. I should like to emphasise that the vast majority of Theatre press officers are excellent and very good at their jobs. They do their level best to ensure that all serious reviewers get into every play however great the demand. Sadly, one or two seemed to regard their jobs as being akin to Securicor Guards with a single aim of preventing anyone working for a website from entering their theatres. This is a sad comment on a real dichotomy in today's society. Many people believe that the easiest way of disseminating information and therefore the most likely way of attracting theatregoers is through the use of the Internet. Others believe that no one ever looks at websites and that they do not sell theatre tickets. While I have no doubt that more people read the Times than see the British Theatre Guide, we do have 4-5000 loyal theatre fans who really care about what is happening and I sincerely hope are keen to read reviews of the latest plays. Over the last year, the highlights have been the chances to review some of the most sold-out shows in town. I have seen Madonna and Simon Russell Beale - and if anyone wishes to find out which I preferred, they will have to read the reviews! I've also been into almost every major theatre in London with the exception of those that put on musicals, my blind spot. I still get a buzz from being allowed into a major theatre as a reviewer. It is a real honour and I rarely lose my sense of perspective and demand entrance as of right. The other real joy has been at the chance to get into intellectual discussions about theatre with the real professionals. The chance to work with Peter Lathan and Catherine Lamm in Edinburgh was both a pleasure and a great learning experience. On occasions, there are even rumours that the odd person reads my reviews! That is very gratifying and it makes all the hard work seem worthwhile. Without feedback, it is very hard to know whether my views mirror those of the average reader and whether my judgment is valued. The high points are when a producer quotes you in their publicity material - or one very exciting occasion when the Head of Press at the Royal National Theatre not only read one of my reviews but passed it on to the playwright and director. I do hope that it wasn't with the intention of asking them to put a contract on my head! As the British Theatre Guide enters its second year, it's nice to feel that we are expanding fast and that we are now taken seriously. It was jolly difficult trying to explain to press officers that a website that did not exist a year ago was worthy of a space at a press night. That all seems to be behind us now as we have become established as one of the major players in the world of theatre journalism. This is largely thanks to the incredible efforts of Peter Lathan and his remarkable vision. Articles Indices:
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