Reviewing previews - yes or no?

Hi guys!

This will only be a quick post as I only landed in England a few hours ago after two weeks on holiday in Turkey, but I've been following the drama surrounding the newspapers who published reviews of Hamlet at The Barbican before press night, and subsequently, the uproar in the blogging community as a result of these actions being branded blogger-eque by some, and just wanted to consolidate my thoughts (which I posted over on twitter) into a quick post, so you all know where I stand.

When I began this blog in October 2014, it was solely for my own use. I wanted to practice my reviewing skills as I knew I'd be using them a lot while studying Drama and English Literature at uni. I posted online copies of all of the articles I'd written for my Sixth form magazine, and then began reviewing all the shows that I saw, regardless of whether they were local productions, tours, West End shows or anything else even remotely theatre-y. I shared them on twitter afterwards as it was the easiest way to tell my friends and family about what I'd been seeing. At this point, while I followed a lot of larger theatre blogs such a West End Frame and West End Wilma, I wasn't aware of the larger theatre blogging community (the fabulous #LDNtheatrebloggers and #UKtheatrebloggers) and I was very surprised when people I didn't know began reading and commenting on my blog posts.

During my first few blogging months, I saw two shows during previews, and subsequently posted my thoughts in a review form on this site. The first show, Memphis the Musical, was one I had been eagerly anticipating for months, and the second, City of Angels, was one which I very luckily managed to bag a Barclays Front Row ticket for, as it had sold out months in advance.

At this point, I wasn't aware of embargoes, and didn't realise that reviewing previews was not the done thing. However, I also has a VERY tiny audience, had paid for my tickets and was not being paid or rewarded for sharing my thoughts. I didn't see myself as a "theatre blogger", just a theatre fan who happened to also have a blog. I didn't receive any complaints as a result of posting both of these reviews (possibly due to the fact that I had next to no page views), and several actors read/retweeted my writing. One even put up a link on his Facebook page, which made me (the young, naïve blogger) very excited indeed. And that was the end of that.

However, after coming into contact with the #LDNtheatrebloggers via twitter, I decided to take a more professional approach to my blog. I ditched (for the most part) the gushing, in favour of a (slightly) more analytical tone, and quickly learned the theatre bloggers etiquette. I also became aware that reviewing previews was not really the done thing, and so swiftly stopped doing that as well. The last thing I wanted was for my past efforts as a rookie blogger to tarnish my reputation later on!

I know that a lot of theatre bloggers, myself included, would like to be seen as knowledgeable and reliable sources, and  as such, I now try to conduct myself in a professional manner, both in the theatre, and when writing my review or blog posts. Although I have not posted any other preview reviews aside from the two I already mentioned, I now make a conscious discussion to wait until press night (or afterwards) to post my thoughts.

That being said, I am a blogger, not a journalist, and I don't have the privilege of being invited to review every single new show in London. If I want to see as much as possible, then for monetary reasons previews become pretty much my only viable option.

At the end of the day, I really don't know enough to say for certain where bloggers stand in the argument. On one hand, we (for the most part) pay for our own tickets, form totally unbiased opinions of the shows we see, and, like the majority of audience members, we aren't sitting in the best seats in the house. We are normal audience members, and have a right to post what we like (as far as I know). What's the difference, after all, between sharing your thoughts on twitter, and sharing them in a blog post? I'd say that the majority of people who see a show in previews comment about it on some form of social media, and there is no way of censoring every single audience member who steps into the theatre before press night, is there?

However, if I as a blogger have dealings with the show directly, am invited to press nights or blogger nights etc. Basically, if I get invited to review the show, then jumping the gun and reviewing a preview beforehand is a huge no-no and the thought would never even cross my mind!

Those are just my thoughts though, and if I'm wrong then please do correct me in the comments! Although I am ecstatic with how much this blog has grown in the last few months, I'm still quite new to the world of blogging (I don't reach my first birthday until mid October!) and certainly don't know everything there is to know on the subject yet.

Thanks for the support, and for the fascinating conversations on the subject over on twitter too!

Charlotte xx

Review - The Railway Children

Tucked away at the back of Kings Cross station is the Kings Cross Theatre, a structure formed of two large tents, which house the entertaining and enthralling play The Railway Children.

Based on E. Nesbit's novel of the same name, The Railway Children is the tale of three children who move to the countryside with their mother, after their father is mysteriously taken away from them. The story is a brilliant mix of humor and heart and is certainly great fun for all the family.

The children (Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis) are played endearingly by Serena Manteghi, Jack Hardwick and Louise Calf respectively, and I found their performance as a trio to be utterly perfect. Sean Hughes was also brilliantly droll as the Stationmaster Mr Perks, and the touching bond between Perks and the children was a lovely to watch. Their scenes together were never anything less than perfectly timed and occasionally extremely moving.

I was so impressed by The Railway Children. Not only was the play great fun, the whole venue has been designed in order to immerse you in The Railway Children's world. You enter via a long tunnel-like passage, the foyer is designed to look like a large railway station waiting room. There is train memorabilia adorning the walls and the bar and sweet shop feel thoroughly period too. The Audience enter the actual auditorium via one of two doors, depending on weather they are sitting on platform 1 or platform 2, and once inside and sat down (the staging is traverse and the audience of 1000 sit on either side of a train track), steam plumes around you and a conductor informs everyone via an overhead announcement when the 'train' will be departing (i.e. the show will be beginning).

The play itself is a marvel. It captures the innocence of the three young protagonists, but doesn't shy away from the harshness and austerity that surrounded them. One particularly gutting scene, in which the children collect presents for the stationmaster's birthday, and he chastises them for highlighting his family's poverty was truly heart breaking.

But what about the train? I hear you ask. Well, truly it is as showstopping as the advertisements claim. It storms out (as quickly as a steam train can storm) at the dramatic climax of act 1, whistling and steaming like crazy. It was so unique and a real treat to see the train up close, and it definitely lived up to expectations. However, I found myself more impressed by the effects that were used to simulate trains. At several points (most memorably, one took place in a 'tunnel' which was created very simply but felt magical never the less!) a rush of smoke would zoom along the tracks, with sounds accompanying it, and it really did feel as if you were sitting on the platform as a train passed you by!

In my opinion, The Railway Children is a must see piece of family theatre. The story is engaging, the characters are endearing and the effects are exhilarating. What more could you ask for?

Verdict - 4.5 stars

Twitter: @OddJazzShoes

Bloglovin: Talkstageytome

Review - Shakespeare in Love (on stage)

Ahh, I'd almost forgotten that February is the month when Valentines Day becomes impossible to get away from! For many people it is traditionally a time to spend courting suitors and receiving tokens from loved ones. However, as there were no new potential suitors on the horizon for me I decided to spend Valentines Eve (which is definitely the correct term for the 13th of February) with my one true love...The theatre! And what better play than Shakespeare in Love to make me forget about my solitariness?

The plot, immortalized in the Academy Award winning 1998 film of the same same, follows a young William Shakespeare who is suffering from writer's block while trying to pen an epic comedy entitled 'Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter' for Philip Henslowe, the owner of the Rose Theater. He finds his muse in a beautiful merchant's daughter, Viola de Lesseps, who also happens to be Will's biggest fan, and strangely enough, bares a striking resemblance to Thomas Kent, the fresh faced thespian who Will has just cast as his Romeo! Confusion, deceit and comedy ensues (not to mention a bit with a dog!) and soon both cast and audience find themselves embroiled in a forbidden love affair which will warm your heart right up before ripping it out! The script is hilarious at times, with many jokes stemming from the irony of Will as a young, fairly unknown playwright, as opposed to the almost omnipresent being that he has become today. But there are also a number of very touching, tender moments between both lovers and friends. The play is much more than the soppy romcom that it may be perceived as. It's got a lot of heart!

Along with a brilliant script, production design is also outstanding! The stage is designed to resemble a Jacobean theater, with lighting, music and minimal props used to suggest a change in location. Interestingly, these techniques are not unlike those used when Shakespeare's plays would have been originally staged, which I'm sure was a conscious choice that really pays off. Indecently, the music (and the incredible vocals which accompanied it at some points) sounded traditional and really helped to set the scene.

As for the new cast, Orlando James wows as the handsome but wayward Will. The young man we are introduced to is uninspired, trapped in his own head and leagues away from the iconic balding Bard we're used to seeing in pictures. Meanwhile, the enchanting Eve Ponsonby is instantly likable as Viola de Lesseps, with a voice so listenable and passionate that she could probably stand on stage and read from the phone book for two and a half hours still move everyone to tears. I loved the juxtaposition between the demure, straitlaced Viola who appears in court in order to watch Shakespeare's latest works (and mouth along when she thinks no one is watching), and the Viola who bounces excitedly on her bed and proselytizes frantically to her nurse. The Viola who wears her heart on her sleeve, who is fearless in love! But for me it was Edward Franklin as Shakespeare's frenemy, the gangly swaggering Kit Marlowe, who really stood out in the cast. Despite his rather minimal time on stage, he managed to steal every scene he appeared in, and his comedic timing was excellent.

If you're looking for a brilliant play to see this year, then look no further than clever, hilarious and hugely romantic Shakespeare in Love. Guaranteed to be a hit with Bard buffs and those who wouldn't know the difference between Stratford-Upon-Avon and Stratford International!

Verdict - 3 Stars

Twitter: @OddJazzShoes

Bloglovin: Talkstageytome