Fringe 2013 Reviews

Brand New Ancients *****
The Librarians ****
Barry Brennan’s Bi-monthly Dungeons and Dragons Sessions ****
You're A Good Man Charlie Brown ****
It's Not What You Know... ****
Punchline ***
Salome ***
Metamorphosis ***
Bin Laden: The One Man Show ***
Toi Toi Toi ***
The Autumn of Han ***
Speak No Evil **
Harder Please **
Expiration Date **
Kierkegaard Comedy Show **
The Road to Qatar **

The Critic: Burning Out at Festivals.

Sometimes when you have seen average show after average show it becomes hard to tell if something is really bad, or you are just bored of mediocrity. One begins to merge into the other. In this instance a great show is an oasis in the dessert which brings you back to your senses. See one as soon as possible if you want to savour any hope of remaining objective and judicious. Take recommendations if you have to, read other reliable critics to know what to go to. It is essential to have this nourishment to keep your writing fresh, if not your sanity!

Star Ratings

At best star ratings can be considered a necessary evil.

They not only de-emphasise the content of the review, including any constructive feedback, but they say nothing about how, why or to whom something is good, excellent or poor - not to speak of the grounds upon which something is being judged, nor by which measure stick or what parameters.A four star show on the professional stage is a five star show on the amateur one.

Everything must be judged in its appropriate context, and something may seem more or less pore in comparison to similar works, or the time and place where it is being written or performed. The body of a review leaves some space to give some of this context, but a star rating does nothing of the kind.

There is much difference between a "very good" 3* show and a "not poor" one. Likewise there is a breadth between a truly excellent 4* and one that made it because it is clearly  a leap ahead of most of what the 3* shows have been, thus it is the tone of the piece will dictate what side of the star rating the show in on, not the star rating itself.

I'm a Professional

Why does everyone glorify being professional?

Being professional means you can't turn up with a hangover.
Being professional means you can't turn up late.
Being professional means you can't get drunk!
Being professional means you can't sleep with the actress, or the barmaid.
Being professional means you have to get in at a reasonable time.
Being professional means you have to get Up at a reasonable time!
Being professional means - you have to listen here - this is serious!
Being professional means you have to walk the walk like you talk the talk.
Being professional means you have to act like you know what you're doing, even when you don't! Which is most of the time.
Being professional means you have to act like everyone else knows what they're doing, even when they don't! Which is most of the time.

Maybe, just maybe, if we all just Stop!... this glorification of being professional,
then we can all enjoy... being unprofessional together...

- Hold on - oh, shit, sorry, I have to take this. It's a business call.

14/08/13

Relationship Critic

Once in every critic's Fringe it becomes necessary for them to go out for a drink with the actor of a one man show and his girlfriend to give him extensive feedback on the production, and end up giving the two an impromptu relationship counselling session lasting over an hour when a conflict breaks out. Oh, wait a minute - that's not every critic. That's just me.

How long does it take to become a good critic?

So that's a new record for me. Writing 7 reviews in one sitting.

I reckon it takes writing around 100 reviews before you get the "hang" of it. That is, if you ever truly get the hang of it, which most of us don't think we ever do. At least it's likely to take writing that many before you can be consistently concise, get your point across, say everything that needs to be said, and of course - a most important discipline - to distiguish between what needs to be said and what you just fancy saying (because it's clever, or you noticed, or it's a bugbear, or..., or..., or..., - will the reader care as much as you do?)

Being a critic isn't mostly glamour and fun, what glamour and fun there is comes in exchange for taking care in, and caring about, your writing.

Fringe 2013

Ahhhhh now this feels like the fringe. One hour between shows and being across the road in Pret a Manger having a filer coffee and trying to sneak in some writing so I have less to do when I get home!!! This is the way it was meant to be for us behind the pen, in a constant state of feeling like we're in a rush.