This posting is the hundredth since I began this blog just over 2 years ago, and it seems an opportunity to reflect back on what I’ve written about and why I do it.
I have had a few comments from friends and from people I have met in theatres (audience, cast, creative and theatre staff) remarking that I do seem to like everything, because almost all the reviews I write have a positive stance. One theatre marketing manager did actually suggest that I should write about stuff that I didn’t like too.
The fact is, I write here for the pleasure of sharing my enthusiasm for performances I have enjoyed watching. For the most part I go to the theatre on my own – it’s usually easy to get great seats at short notice when you’re only looking for one, and I often go on a sudden whim. I used to enthuse with friends about things I’d seen and try to persuade them to go, and someone once suggested that I should be writing about it. Out of that conversation came the idea for this blog.
I’m passionate about performance (including theatre, music, opera, ballet and film) and occasionally get frustrated that some outstanding shows are playing to houses that have lots of empty space. If I love something then I like the idea that by effusing about it in a public way I might encourage others to go and fill those empty seats.
I also recognise that if I don’t like a performance it is probably not an indication that there's something bad about it - it’s more likely that it simply wasn’t to my taste, or I was in the wrong frame of mind at the time. I don’t see why I need to be publicly dismissive about a play or a concert just because it didn’t work for me. It's not the purpose of this blog to discourage people from seeing things.
A few months ago, I went to a play on a Tuesday and really didn’t enjoy it. However, I’d been tired at the time and found I could get a good seat for the Friday and see it again, so I did, and the second time I really enjoyed it. This said, I went through a similar scenario last week and sadly disliked the play even more the second time around. Now if someone actually asks me whether I liked it I will be honest with them (and I have) but is it really fair of me to shout it from the rooftops? However, my next review is to be about that very piece that I really disliked, by way of experiment. I still hope I'll be able to reach a balanced view.
My purpose in writing this blog is to enthuse, and in this context I can indulge myself in mostly writing about things I've loved watching.
I realise there’s a danger in saying this: If I now don’t write about something I have seen then this could be taken to imply that I didn’t enjoy it. This isn’t necessarily true. What with working full time and spending so many nights in the theatre or concert hall I don’t always get round to writing about everything I’d like to, and sometimes I end up adding reviews retrospectively. So, if there is anyone out there following this endless rambling, please don’t feel offended if I haven’t written about something that you were involved with or loved seeing, it’s highly likely I spent so many nights seeing it again that I ended up with no time left to review it!
My biggest hope is that, somewhere along the line, a few people may have been to see performances that they might otherwise have missed, because what I have said has caught their interest.
Thank you to everyone who has read, remarked, retweeted or favourited, and please do keep on reading and spreading the word, because word of mouth is one of the best ways to get venues putting out the “HOUSE FULL” signs.
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