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27/12/04 - A Year of Highs and Lows
Philip Fisher takes a look back at London theatre in 2004.
23/12/04 - Test Your Shakespearean Knowledge
A quiz to test how well you know your Shakespeare.
21/12/04 - Danger! Intolerance
More examples of creeping censorship.
19/12/04 - The Comprehensive Spending
Review
The Comprehensive Spending Review presages an effective cut in funding
in 2008, but theatre will cope.
12/12/04 - Fuming!
We are moving into a new era of censorship as special interest groups
fight to impose their ideas on others.
09/12/04 - Star-Crossed Lovers
J.D. Atkinson looks at the performance history of Romeo and Juliet.
05/12/04 - Centralising Devolution
Isn't it odd that a government which owes its very existence to devolution
should be so committed to centralisation in its own sphere? Comment
on the Welsh Assembly and the Arts Council of Wales.
28/11/04 - Chasing the Cultural Crown
The new mood of support for culture and the arts among local authorities
is very welcome.
25/11/04 - Remembering Sid Chaplin
One of the many people who have helped the development of the riches
of British regional theatre.
25/11/05 - The People Who Could Save the
Bridewell
The big players in the music theatre industry could save the Bridewell
and hardly notice the cost.
21/11/04 - Theatre on the Net 2004
Theatre on the Net has not quite come of age, but it's getting there!
16/11/04 - Transports of Delight
J.D. Atkinson looks at a little known folk musical, The Transports.
14/11/04 - And the Winners Are...
The results of our poll to find whom BTG visitors consider to be the
best actors over fifty.
08/11/04 - Another Lost Empire
Kevin Catchpole laments the passing of his favourite theatre
07/11/04 - Whistling the Technology?
Is the technology in The Woman In White a step too far for theatre?
31/10/04 - So Who is the Greatest?
Who do BTG visitors believe to be the greatest actor over the age of
fifty?
28/10/04 - It's Behind You! - The Story
of Panto
Philip Fisher reviews Peter Lathan's book.
24/10/04 - A Theatre by the Lake
Peter Lathan reflects on his favourite theatres and adds another to
the list, the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick.
19/10/04 - The Play's the Thing
Catherine Lamm is not only a BTG New York-based reviewer, she is also
a respected director. Here - drawn from her experience of working with
new writing - are some valuable words of advice to playwrights.
18/10/04 - Paul Newman
Philip Fisher reviews Daniel O'Brien's biography of the Hollywood star.
17/10/04 - The Edinburgh Fringe: Reviewing
the Venues
Why the Edinburgh Fringe Society's decision to ask companies to give
star ratings to venues is not a good idea
16/10/04 - More of a Preview than
a Review
Peter Lathan sees a tiny bit of the Sakoba Dance Theatre's Aseju,
and it leaves him wanting more.
10/10/04 - Political Theatre Comes in from
the Cold
Political theatre is making a comeback, but it appears doomed to have
to grow up again.
03/10/04 - Theatres and the Disability
Discrimination Act
All the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 are now
in effect. How will theatres be affected?
28/09/04 - 100 Years of Peter Pan... or,
Do You Really Want to Believe in Fairies?
J.D. Atkinson takes an in-depth look at one of the most enduring children's
stories, Peter Pan, 100 years old this year.
26/09/04 - The RSC: The Changes Continue
Change continues at the RSC, but Michael Boyd is managing it well.
22/09/04 - Way to Go, Kevin!
Kevin Spacey's condemnation of the behaviour of some members of theatre
audience's is absolutely spot-on!
20/09/04 - Revisiting the Revolutionary
Stage
Steven Barfield reviews Michael Patterson's Strategies of Political
Theatre: Post-War British Playwrights.
19/09/04 - Performing Rights Silliness
Amateur companies cannot perform shows which are in the West End, even
if they are hundreds of miles away. It's about time this particular
theatrical tradition was junked for the rubbish it is.
12/09/04 - Hope on the Welsh Horizon?
Boyden's report on English Language Theatre in Wales promises much for
the future, but the Welsh Assembly could destroy it in an instant.
12/09/04 - Shakespeare Quartos Online
The British Library has launched a new website which has all of the
Quartos of Shakespeare's plays (93 versions of 21 plays) in high-quality
facsimile.
05/09/04 - Definitely Not Nice!
The Guardian breaks the press night agreement with the National Theatre.
The NT should retaliate!
05/09/04 - Email Press Releases
How to make sure your press release is used, not spiked.
31/08/04 - A Case for Shylock
Philip Fisher reviews Gareth Armstrong's book about the genesis of his
one-man show, Shylock
31/08/04 - London Restaurants 2004
& Good Cheap Eats in London
Philip Fisher looks at two indispensible books for London theatregoers.
31/08/04 - Theatregoers' Handbook
A review of the new book from Harden's.
29/08/04 - How Big Is Too Big?
Is the Edinburgh Fringe getting too big?
23/08/04 - In Seach of a Ring of Confidence
Kevin Catchpole ponders the role of the director in mounting Wagner's
Ring Cycle
23/08/04 - The Edinburgh Fringe - The BTG
Stories
Philip Fisher, Catherine Lamm and Peter Lathan look back on their experiences
at this year's Fringe.
08/08/04 - BTG Edfringe Coverage
Details of the British Theatre Guide's coverage of the Edinburgh Fringe
and International Festivals.
08/08/04 - That Curfew
Some thoughts on the proposed West End under-16 curfew.
08/08/04 - The Essential Shakespeare
Handbook
Philip Fisher looks at another guide to Shakespeare.
08/08/04 - Arguments with England
Philip Fisher reviews director Michael Blakemore's memoirs.
04/08/04 - Censorship: The Legal Position
We are occasionally asked if there is theatre censorship in Britain
today. Here's what we understand the legal position to be.
01/08/04 - The Brave and the Foolish
The National Theatre of Scotland makes a brave decision and the Welsh
Assembly is on the brink of a foolish one.
01/08/04 - A Pocket Guide to Shakespeare's
Plays
Philip Fisher reviews the book by Kenneth McLeish and Stephen Unwin.
01/08/04 - The History Boys
Philip Fisher looks at the script of Alan Bennett's play.
25/07/04 - I've Got a Theory About That...
Some thoughts on acting training and theories of acting.
22/07/04 - Barberous Ignorance
Philip Fisher reacts to an Observer journalist's comments on theatre.
18/07/04 - A Nice Break
A three day trip to London, with thoughts on Country Music and
Shining City at the Royal Court, Nunn's Hamlet at the
Old Vic, street theatre and comedy, and food (and, of course, drink!).
11/07/04 - Bullying and the Arts
In which we react to Wayne Sleep's comments about boys being put off
dance by bullying.
04/07/04 - How Short Is Too Short?
Plays are definitely getting shorter. Is that good, bad, or just plain
inevitable?
27/04/06 - Who Wrote Shakespeare?
Why we should believe that Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare, and not the
Earl of Oxford, Christopher Marlowe - or anyone else!
21/06/04 - Too Good to be True?
Why is London overflowing with theatrical riches? Philip Fisher looks
at the current state of theatre in London.
20/06/04 - Good Idea - Bad Play
How idea-led plays can so often be bad plays.
13/06/04 - The Matter of Scottish Opera
We look at the implications of the current crisis at Scottish Opera.
06/06/04 - The RSC Performance Database
We take a look at a fantastic research resource from the Royal Shakespeare
Company.
30/05/04 - Reviewers or Critics?
Just what is the difference between reviewing and criticism?
23/05/04 - Devised Theatre: What's It Worth?
In which we look at the value of devised theatre.
19/05/05 - The World of Christopher
Marlowe
Philip Fisher reviews David Rigg's book.
16/05/04 - Theatre Subsidy: It's Peanuts!
Now we have hard economic facts, so we can stop being defensive and
argue the case for theatre subsidy in what detractors are pleased to
call "the real world".
13/05/04 - A Plea: Bring Scotland to England!
Philip Fisher wants to see more Scottish plays brought to London.
10/05/04 - The Cambridge Companion to
the Musical
A book review by Peter Lathan.
09/05/04 - £2.6bn!
A new report shows that theatre subsidy has an beneficial effect on
a theatre's local economy which far outweighs the costs.
09/05/04 - New Life for Opera? Not This
Time
The Savoy Opera experiment has failed: whither opera now?
07/05/04 - Conversations with Peter
Brook 1970-2000
Philip Fisher reviews Margaret Croyden's book.
02/05/04 - Eats, Shoots and Leaves
Peter Lathan reviews The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation,
and argues that it is relevant to theatre.
26/04/04 - Caveat Lector!
Don't believe everything you read on the Net!
18/04/04 - New Life for Opera?
In spite of current efforts to make it more acceessible, opera will
always have only a minority appeal.
16/04/04 - Gambon - A Life in
Acting
Philip Fisher reviews Mel Gussow's book of conversations with Sir Michael
Gambon.
15/04/04 - A Pocket Guide to Alan Ayckbourn's
Plays
Philip Fisher reviews Paul Allen's book.
11/04/04 - Unsung Heroes?
The lawyers, accountants and so on who give up their time freely to
help run our theatres.
04/04/04 - More BTG Developments
Why the British Theatre Guide is reviewing more dance and opera.
28/03/04 - Gielgud's Letters
Philip Fisher reviews the book Gielgud's Letters, edited by Richard
Mangan.
28/03/04 - A Critic's Quandary
When critics and audiences disagree: some thoughts about the role of
the theatre critic.
21/03/04 - Pay!
Actors work hard and have a unique combination of innate ability and
training. Let's not undervalue ourselves
14/03/04 - The Censor Moron Approaches
Peter Lathan comes across two examples of would-be censorship in theatre
and calls for them to be treated with the contempt they deserve.
07/03/04 - A Life of Grime, Thanks to Really
Useful Theatres
A look at the state of London's West End and what should be done about
it.
07/03/04 - On Ice
What are the technicalities behind presenting a show on ice in a normal
theatre?
29/02/04 - Theatre on the Internet Comes
of Age
We look at UK TheatreAvailability.co.uk: is it the killer app the Internet
theatre world has been waiting for?
29/02/04 - What's My Motivation?
Philip Fisher reviews actor Michael Simkins' autobiography.
22/02/04 - There's No Such Thing As Coincidence
On the same day Peter Lathan buys David Mamet's book about acting and
sees a student production from the Guildhall which totally demolishes
Mamet's advice to actors
22/02/04 - Scene and Heard
We normally wouldn't think of begging for money, but this is a charity
we feel is well worth supporting!
13/02/04 - The Enduring Appeal of Joseph
Why is Joseph still so popular thirty years on?
08/02/04 - Not a Level Playing Field
We look at Andrew Lloyd Webber's call for tax breaks for West End producers
01/02/04 - Theatre on the Web
Our annual survey.
25/01/04 - The BTG Now
The British Theatre Guide in 2003
25/01/04 - Keep Music Live!
Why sound technology should not replace the live band.
18/01/04 - Is Fantasy Fantastic?
Philip Fisher doesn't like fantasy but Peter Lathan does, and they argue
it out in this two-part feature.
11/01/04 - The Importance of the Fringe
But we are not talking about Edinburgh here. Peter Lathan objects to
our hierarchical view of theatre in the UK.
08/01/04 - Everybody's Gettin' Into
The Act
Philip Fisher reviews the soundtrack of the musical by Bob Ost (New
York)
08/01/04 - Shakespeare - The Director's
Cut
A review of Michael Bogdanov's new book.
08/01/04 - 2D>3D
Peter Lathan looks at the exhibition by the Society of British Theatre
Designers at the Lowry Salford Quays.
04/01/04 - An Odd Little Niche
Peter Lathan looks at a theatre company which has found itself "an
odd little niche".
03/01/04 - 2003: The Year in the Midlands
Steve Orme reviews the theatre year in the Midlands.
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