Finding a focus

Finding a focus for this module didn't seem so difficult. When I looked back over the first module and the topics I had researched, there were some areas that caught my attention.

One of the scholars I looked into was Irving Wardle, who was a writer and theatre critic and most notable for his work at the Times, The Independent and The Observer. In his book, Theatre Criticism, he theorises how reviews should be written; he discusses their origins, the purpose they serve and whether they should be trusted. The quote below, which I used in my portfolio, was one of the main motives for this inquiry and inspired me to explore this area of the industry much further.

‘How can critics claim to know best when they cannot agree among themselves?' Wardle (1992 p.37)

Also in Module 1, I discussed how the 2nd generation of the internet, known as Web 2.0, allows the public to interact, respond to articles, videos, blogs and reviews and contribute their own opinions with the ability to create trends on social media platforms. This presents the idea that the reader could become a ‘reviewer’, and holds the potential to influence others. 

From these intriguing concepts, I started to have little wonders of my own and I decided to delve deeper into the history, ethics and literature of theatre criticism and reviews.

How much of an impact do reviews have on ticket sales?

Are the general public influenced by theatre reviews?

Which demographic tends to read reviews?

 Would the public choose to seek out reviews on a particular show before seeing it?

Are there specific sources that people trust more than others?

Do theatre critics receive backlash after giving bad reviews?

How do theatre critics feel about the development of the internet?

As I have decided to focus my inquiry proposal on this topic, I believe I could explore perspectives and challenge myself to see as many shows as I can for the rest of the year; documenting where and when I see them in a journal. I mentioned in another blog last term that my company has a scheme to allow us to see shows in exchange for writing a review - so, as part of this course, I will be writing a review for each show that I see. The next show I would like to see will be:

You Stupid Darkness, Southwark Playhouse / The Visit, The National Theatre / The Last Five Years, Southwark Playhouse / Indecent, Menier Chocolate Factory / Five Characters in Search of A Good Night's Sleep, Southwark Playhouse / The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, The Criterion Theatre / Hairspray, The Coliseum.

That should keep me going for a few months...

What shows do you plan to see this year?