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Write A Play And Get It Performed: Reviews

by Lesley Bown and Ann Gawthorpe

Having your play reviewed can sometimes seem like a double-edged sword – you want a good review, but are fearful of getting a bad one. However, having reviews can, however, produce publicity for your play and bring in the auudience so it is worth trying to get them.

If there is a designated publicity person for your play, make sure they know about your local paper and any other publications that you have an interest in. With smaller productions, get every member of the cast and crew to contact every editor and journalist they can think of to ask for one.

When the reviews come in, take them with a pinch of salt. If they are glowing ask yourself whether the reviewer is being honest or kind. If it is the latter and they are less than complimentary then they won’t really be a lot of help, although you may be able to lift a sentence or two for your c..v.

If you get a bad review, don’t get upset but see what you can learn from it. If the writer has missed the point of the play, ask yourself if perhaps you failed to get the point across. In the early days you will always need to do a rewrite after a performance, and reviews are part of the information that you can use in the rewrite.


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