Every major newspaper publishes theatre reviews. And why not? Theatre reviews have a wide, loyal and knowledgeable following. Mostly, theatre lovers are educated folks, and love an evening at the theatre.
This makes it incumbent for newspapers to commission reviewers who are equally knowledgeable about the subject, if not more.
You too can become a theatre reviewer if you have a passion for art and culture, and love watching plays. All that you need to do is to keep the following eleven tips in mind while writing your theatre reviews:
#1 A review is not a news report
A news report captures the important points of an event or incident with the most important point coming first, and the rest following in descending order of importance. There is no place for comment in a news report. A review, on the contrary, is nothing but the opinion of the reviewer. It is a comment, a critique; it does not follow a fixed structure. This gives the reviewer great liberty to structure the review.
# 2 The Intro
Your intro has to be dramatic. Never make the mistake of starting with the obvious – that a play was staged at Natya Kala Academy last night. Think of something that touched you or moved you. The chances are that it may have touched others too.
# 3 The plot
Every play has a plot. Should you reveal it? No. You should think about your audience who would like to watch the play. They will feel cheated, and may not forgive you for being insensitive. It’s better to summarise the plot without giving the story away.
# 4 Acting
Everyone wants to know how good were the actors. Did they add life to a play or did they kill it? How did their acting compare with their past work? Make sure that you answer these questions well.
# 5 Technical effects
It is not only the actors who give life to a play. The technical effects are also important. They create a mood. So, make sure that you observe the sound and lighting carefully, and comment on the way they added to the play or not.
# 6 Direction
The success of any play depends upon the director’s vision and skills. A good director can lift a mundane story; and bring out the best among actors. Your review must analyse the director’s skills critically. Is there something striking that the director has done to tell the story? How did he handle light and sound? How did he pace the play? Theatre goers will be delighted if you enlighten them about these points.
# 7 Costumes
Costumes bring magic to theatre. Much thought goes in deciding and designing costumes. It is for you to judge if the costumes are appropriate. Do they add to the play’s storyline? Are they from the right period? Or are they just average?
# 8 Audience reaction
You have all the rights in the world to decide if the play was good or bad. But you should never ignore the audience. Their reactions are your best guides. Were there boos or catcalls? Was their derisive laughter? Did you hear a sob or a sniffle? These little things will tell you how the play was received.
# 9 Be fair and honest
You should never run down a play because you did not like an actor or the director. You should also not drive personal barbs. Be fair, and professional. Even when you are critical explain why you are so. Also, never ridicule amateur artistes. They are there because of their love for theatre. They are not being paid a fee. So, avoid being too skeptical or harsh when commenting on their work.
# 10 Publish your review early
Don’t sit on your review. Give it for publication at the earliest. Your readers will be grateful. They can go and watch the play before it is closed.
# 11 Rate the play
You must indicate whether the play was good, bad or average. This is important for the readers. They can then take an informed decision of going to the theatre or not.
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