Comments on: Room for review

By: ‘Andrew’ and ‘Phil’

‘Andrew’ and ‘Phil’ — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:02:59 +0000

Why have you put little quote marks round ‘Andrew’ and ‘Phil’? You’re making us doubt our existence.

By: Meleri Thomas

Meleri Thomas — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:33:26 +0000

There is an interesting blog on the Guardian website about theatre reviews: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2010/jan/13/theatre-press-night-reviews

By: Duncan Higgitt

Duncan Higgitt — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:52:31 +0000

I’ve always felt schizophrenic about critics. On the one hand, we need them to help decide on films to catch, music to buy, plays and operas to see (although I couldn’t tell good opera production from bad). But, when some of them are allowed to indulge in their interests and prejudices, we begin to wonder what right they have, as the untalented, to judge the talented.

I was thinking about the online model that is emerging, and thought to myself: “All this needs to work is a couple of good filters”. Filters, specifically human filters, are becoming increasingly more widespread, particularly in the US, as online becomes ever more populated and people’s tastes become ever more particular. A human filter really is really an editor by another name. And all the best critics have had better editors to control and hone their writing.

By: Daran Hill

Daran Hill — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:27:25 +0000

“But one voice has stood out in recent months; that of is the West End Whingers.”

Sounds like a hoot. But as ever it sounds confined to London. Great idea here, though, for online reviews. Properly moderated, and maybe given context by a lead theatre reviewer, this could work well in Wales. And such a site wouldn’t need a government subsidy to launch…

Mind you, I’m so out of touch with the arts community that there could well be a site like this in existence in Wales!

By: Alan Davies

Alan Davies — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:09:56 +0000

There’s an important difference between being informed and being opinionated. Many food critics for example are opinionated and fail to provide useful information.
As an infrequent visitor to the theatre, it is more important for me to get the water-cooler feedback from someone I trust. Somebody who both knows me and can identify my tastes.
The expert tells of their enjoyment, not my potential enjoyment.