Reviews - Yes or No?

I enjoy reading intelligent reviews BUT it seems to have gotten to a stage where those who dare to give an opinion that is less-than-glowing get torched. I used to write exactly what I thought but I now refrain from reviewing shows if it would contain more constructive criticism than compliments. Instead I simply compliment those who (or that which) I felt were stand-outs or keep my mouth shut. I'm sure that I am not the only one who does this as many of the reviews read like hyped-up press releases. I don't believe that all these shows being reviewed can be that flawless.

So my question for discussion is this: Do you want to be reviewed by your peers or do you think "If I wanted his/her opinion I'd have asked for it"?

I personally think that as long as the reviewer isn't just being cruel and spiteful (and preferably is not anonymous) that reviews are good for us. After all, if we don't agree with what someone says about us or our show we can always dismiss the review/reviewer (but then again we may just learn something)!

Gillian Binks dabbled daringly:
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*So my question for discussion is this: Do you want to be reviewed by your peers or do you think "If I wanted his/her opinion I'd have asked for it"?

The good ol' "Do you want me to be honest or polite" argument!!

Deep down, if we are TRULY honest with each other, I believe we all want to be complimented- and not critisised, even if it's remotely constructive.

*I personally think that as long as the reviewer isn't just being cruel and spiteful (and preferably is not anonymous) that reviews are good for us.

They are- because no performer can give a totally objective opinion of their own performance. Reviews, crticisms and compliments alike enable the performer to at least gauge the response of their performance on their audience.

Eliot

Be honest! Don't ever write a review in order to deliberately please! But by the same token, don't write it to deliberately offend. It takes a while for any artist to realise the benefit of honest criticism, but once they have accepted it, it makes it a hell of a lot easier for them to improve their craft.

If you get verbally lynched for your opinion, ignore it. As long as you have provided a frank, objective opinion, then you have done your job. It is up to the artists being reviewed to decide how they will utilise your comments.

Also, remember that ANYONE is entitled to express an opinion of a show or artist. No previous experience in the art, or any course qualifications can make one person more qualified to offer a critique than anyone else. The whole point of a review is to reflect how the work translated to you personally.

The smart artists know the value of listening.

When writing reviews I try to give a bit of both - if I'm going to 'constructively criticise' someone, I always try to point out something good in their performance that they should work on to overcome any difficulties I saw in their characterisation. As a performer, it's great to be complimented, but I feel it's almost better to be told what you can improve. Reviews that are abusive are stupid, but I find reviews that just say how wonderful the show was are equally annoying and, as Gill said, press releases.

If you don't like someone's criticism, then say what you felt and what, specifically, you disagreed with in their review. Case in point: Leah Maher recently gave an intelligent review of Shrew, and constructively challenged something I didn't like about the show. I wasn't offended, it gave people different viewpoints, and changed my thinking on the subject. On the other hand, someone recently called another reviewer 'deaf dumb and blind'. That just disintegrated into a grudge match and completely detracted from what people would be reading the reviews for - an honest opinion of the show.

Acting is something so personal that it is hard to separate a review from a personal slight. An ego is a crappy thing to have as an actor - it just gets kicked to pieces most of the time anyway, so you may as well get over it and use the criticism to improve your performance.

Amanda Chesterton

As I mentioned before, I am very pro-reviewing. I think the general feelings amongst most are as follows:
**If a show is in mid production the most wanted reviews are the kind that are constructive to the performers, so that improvements can be made if neccessary and particularly enjoyable moments can be highlighted further (or at least remembered).
*Advice for actors, or compliments are also very welcome mid-season. (Who am I kidding, compliments are always welcome)
*Comments on design etc. (particularly negative ones) aren't as welcome at this stage because there's not too much that anyone can do about halfway througha season, especially in community theatres.

**When the production has finished, anything goes. Sure, pat each other on the back and say how wonderful the show was, but surely not everything about the production was fantastic? From my experience in the theatre, those that are reviewed positively don't often remember what it was about their performance that was so great; whereas actors reviewed with a bit of criticism will remember exactly what it was that was lacking in their performace and work hard to build their performance in that area.

At all stages, a well-balanced review is what everyone is after. No-one reading this page before going to see a show wants to read a completely one-sided review.

Everything said though, I really don't care all that much about how balanced a review is, as long as people provide evidence to back up their claims.

Stating the (not so?) obvious,
-Bec

Eliot McCann wrote:
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Reviews, crticisms and compliments alike enable the performer to at least gauge the response of their performance on their audience.

Easy for you to say with your bucket loads of reveiw type plaudits Mr Salieri!!

But it must be said that though we can sit here and espouse the virtues of taking the good with the bad, having to have thick skin if you are going to be a performer and learning from critisism, I do so in the knowledge that when you are intimately involved with something as personal as bearing your soul on stage, it's quite difficult to read reveiws objectively. I myself hideously overracted to an, in hindesight, extremely well written and thought out reveiw of one show I was extremely close to.

So write an honest reveiw and don't take the flack from those involved with the show too seriously. They'll get over it once there has been distance enough to think clearly. Have courage and say what you think. As long as you don't have a grudge and you're not just being mean no-one in their rational mind can fault you. They can, however, disagree with you, which they are entitled to do.

Wasn't it P J Barnham who used to pay to have adverse comments made about his entertainments - In order to ensure more Bums On Seats??????

Joe McCabe

*So my question for discussion is this: Do you want to be reviewed by your peers ....?

- Absolutely!

As me 'ol mate Oscar Wilde used to say:

"There's only one thing in the world worse than being talked about ..... and that's NOT being talked about!"

Come and give us hell - it's how we grow!

Chris McCafferty
aka 'Lucky Eric' (Bouncers) ... if you dare!

Leah Maher noted evilly:
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*Easy for you to say with your bucket loads of reveiw type plaudits Mr Salieri!!

Which raises an interesting point; Amadeus was fortunate to garner a large response on this site. Why is this not the case with other productions? Are people not going out to see any shows? Is this a down-time in the local calendar? Have people lost their nerve after Mr Malone's quite un-called-for bollocking after his beautifully composed review of Man Of La Mancha?

Eliot

Absolutely agree with you Chris. We're in the middle of our Blue Room season and each night (after basking in complimentary feedback) we then bite the bullet and ask for constructive criticism from any and all we speak to. Keeping in mind that it is sometimes just a matter of personal taste - what some like, others detest, we take each comment on board, evaluate it and then have the freedom to make improvements. Otherwise, how can a show mature?

I would suggest that this is because some shows are not worth commenting about. Maybe a show like Amadeus stirred such passions in people that they felt they just had to comment (I wanted to comment, but it had all been said!)

I would like to say that it was because of the reviews that I went to see Amadeus. I have limited "theatre going" time so I will often look to the reviews for guidance. Thanks to all who contribute to that section - I always find it valuable and interesting. Though it can be with trepidation that I look to it when I am in a show! As much as constructive criticism can be helpful, it is always encouraging to read that your performance was good.

Keep up the good work reviewers. It's a tough job - so I think I'll stick to reading them and not writing them (for now anyway!).

Hi Gillian,

In answer to your discussion on the writing of reviews, my advice is to write truthfully, but with constructive criticism rather than untruthful compliments. We must remember that one person's view may differ from another's. For instance, i wrote a review for the Rockingham Theatre Production of Les Miserables not long ago in the review section on this website and I was honest, though possibly brutal at times. I read a brief review on the same production where the reviewer raved about the amount of young talent in the show, i disagreed, but there was no right or wrong here from either reviewer- just differing opinions.

If performers don't want constuctive criticism or even brutal honesty at times - perhaps they are in the wrong business. That is my opinion.


Write from the heart by all means!!


The Review Master.

I agree totally about honesty and constructive criticism, but having worked with many actors in many theatre situations, I have on occasions found that 'brutality' may be the preferred option!?!

We all have to accept that as long as the review is fair and objective and comes from an accredited source, that statements we personally may feel are negative may be a catalyst for our personal development as performers.

Hi RM,

It is interesting that you mentioned the "review which raved about the young talent in Les Mis" as it was me who wrote it. I actually wrote a full review of the show but decided that I would just encourage those young performers who impressed me (must be the drama teacher in me). I had seen the battering that other reviewers were getting and I thought that maybe I should keep my constructive criticsm to myself. It was because of this that I started this discussion.

I read your review and I agreed with most of your constructive criticism. I did, however, feel that you were a little hard on some of the actors. It seems to me that you know what you are talking about but I felt as though you reviewed them as if they were professionals.

I wonder though, would you have written the same review if you had put your name to it?

Cheers,
Gill

In reply to Gill,

The Review Master is my name. I would have written nothing but the same if my name was Jo Bloggs, etc. My opinion is my opinion, and yours in yours. That is respectable.

I paid a good $20 a seat for that amateur production and a not far off $36 for the professional production a couple of years ago so I feel I'm entitled to give a completely honest review even if I was perhaps alittle harsh.

I have seen on the Regal theatre website that you have been cast as Eponine in Music Spectrum's production in October.
Congratulations on that, I can't wait to see it . Seems it will be quite a marvellous production.


The Review Master.

Gill wrote:
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Hi RM,

It is interesting that you mentioned the "review which raved about the young talent in Les Mis" as it was me who wrote it. I actually wrote a full review of the show but decided that I would just encourage those young performers who impressed me (must be the drama teacher in me). I had seen the battering that other reviewers were getting and I thought that maybe I should keep my constructive criticsm to myself. It was because of this that I started this discussion.

I read your review and I agreed with most of your constructive criticism. I did, however, feel that you were a little hard on some of the actors. It seems to me that you know what you are talking about but I felt as though you reviewed them as if they were professionals.

I wonder though, would you have written the same review if you had put your name to it?

Cheers,
Gill

>The Review Master is my name. I would have written nothing but the same if my name was Jo Bloggs, etc.<

You must admit though RM that it is easier to say exactly what one thought when nobody knows who one is! That's why I asked.

>My opinion is my opinion, and yours is yours. That is respectable.<

I was definately not saying anything to the contrary.

>I paid a good $20 a seat for that amateur production and a not far off $36 for the professional production a couple of years ago so I feel I'm entitled to give a completely honest review even if I was perhaps a little harsh.<

Fair comment. I guess it's just that I believe when you go to see an amateur show you can't expect it to be as good as a professional one and, when reviewing, should consider everything accordingly. Surely the director put together the best cast she could from those who auditioned.

I fully agree with you that the actor who played Jean Valjean did not have the required vocal range but there aren't a lot of guys floating around in amateur theatre who do. I also agree with you that the young actress who played Eponine was not really ready for the role but I think that when she is as ancient as me she could be great with training and lots of encouragement.

I agree too, that Fantine and Eponine not being belters resulted in their songs not having the usual impact but, personally, I would much rather hear a young lady with a sweet voice sing in tune than someone who thinks belting is the same as screaming or is tone deaf.

I am by no means saying that you should think as I think. I just wanted to give you some examples of what I thought and why I said what I said in my last posting.

Out of interest, if you were the director, what would you have done if you couldn't find your ideal cast?

>I have seen on the Regal theatre website that you have been cast as Eponine in Music Spectrum's production in October.
Congratulations on that, I can't wait to see it . Seems it will be quite a marvellous production.<

Thank you for your good wishes RM. I hope that you enjoy the show and I look forward to your review!

Cheers,
Gill

Gill wrote:

"I guess it's just that I believe when you go to see an amateur show you can't expect it to be as good as a professional one ....."

And WHY the flame-retardant hell NOT???!!!?!!

Amateur shows may not have the financial backing (although the stories I hear about arts funding make me think different...) of professional shows- BUT!!! That does NOT guarantee the quality of a "pro" show over one where the actors do it for fun.

Yes, yes, we've been down this sticky road before on this site and blood has been shed (some of it by me, and some of it mine too!) about this topic. The main criteria for ANY show subject to reviewing surely is: does it engage its audience, and does it succeed in its purpose???

Eliot

Correct! Correct! Correct!

A habit of many amateur groups is to expect to be told they're as good - if not better - than the professional production.

And when some friend or family member says they are, they gladly believe it.

But when someone says, "Well, such-and-such could've been done a little better", the indignant reply comes almost in unison: "Well, we're only in it for the fun, after all!"

No excuse! If you started the show intending it to be a certain standard, and it didn't reach that standard, then you failed. Use that failure to your advantage and learn from it!

Any worms left?

Hello Gill,

Bear in mind what I say next, I say with total respect to your comment, and is not reflective of the production in question (As I haven't seen it):

YOU SAID: "Out of interest, if you were the director, what would you have done if you couldn't find your ideal cast?"

ANSWER: I would cancel the show and find something that suited the best talent I have to choose from. Better to put on a two-hander with a couple of wonderful performers than put on an extravaganza with a cast of mediocre talent.

Hey El,

Please white-out that sentence and change it to "I guess it's just that when I go to see an amateur show I don't expect it to be as good as a professional one".

Budgets aside, I would not expect a production which stars the best performers in Rockingham to be as good as one that auditioned intensively all over Australia.

Just me maybe but I don't mind.

Cheers,
Gill

Hi again Gillian,

You asked me what i would have done if I was a director and couldn't find an ideal cast, well, i guess- keep looking. If I was putting on a show like Les Miserables I certainly wouldn't be casting people that could "almost" pull it off. It's Les Mis! We should honour this wonderful musical with a great cast if we are going to portray it.

Cheers 2.

The Review Master

On another note,

I felt that this amateur production had the potential to do well, sets, costumes, props, etc.. were pretty good for a small production. What would have made this a brilliant show would have been great singing so this is probably why I was a tinge harsh in my review.

Also Gill, i wouldn't mind reading your full review of the show if you were at all prepared to send it. I love reading reviews and writing them you could say! My email is :

the_review_master@yahoo.com.au

The Review Master

In all respect, Review Master, and almost entirely off topic, but I was just wondering - do you have any more reviews for us? I enjoy reading reviews, and they seem to come in fits and starts on this page - sometimes none for weeks, sometimes half a dozen in a day. I might be forgiven for wondering where the 'Master' part of your title is derived, considering that there has only been one of your reviews displayed here...

Of course, I am sure you write reviews elsewhere and have for some time - but are there any we might read? I'm sure I'm not the only ITAer who is always on the lookout for reviews to let me know about shows I might not otherwise have seen, and if we aren't getting any from the 'Master', then there is little hope for progress!! ;)

jh

PS - all is in jest. I was just wondering if you have any more reviews coming...

We would welcome more reviews!!!
Bouncers has had 10 performances, all very well received, but very few reviews to date. For an emerging theatre company, reviews could help us back up a funding application in the future and may help us increase our audience numbers NOW. So please if you saw a show ( by any theatre company) and liked it, or can offer constructive comments, please review it!

Fear not Kyla; I will be in the audience this Saturday night, witnessing the particular splendour that is reputed to be "Bouncers".

I will hand down my judgement on Sunday morning- be it salivating or scathing. No quarter shall be given either way. I think that fair warning.

This is entirely dependant on Kingsley behaving himself, of course.... (cheers, m'colleague...)

Eliot

ps: to be honest, I cannot WAIT to see this show.... but I promise to be objective.

Justin,

I will certainly write more reviews soon. The Review Master hasn't had a lot of time to see a lot of shows lately though I should probably make time as I am "the master". I do love writing reviews and I put a lot of thought into them, I had a couple for "Grease" , "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables" and "The Wizard of Oz"- all professional productions in Perth a while back, I'll try to dig them up. In the meantime, did you have any of your own? As well as writing, I love reading reviews.

Coming soon......more reviews from the Master.

The Review Master

Eliot

Remember, it's BYOG ( Bring Your Own Globe) ramala - ramala - ramala

Cheers, Ed

I'll be there- globe, bottle and Camberwell Carrot in hand...

I may even cover myself in Deep Heat if it's cold...

Eliot