Mark Fisher & How to Write About Theatre

Let’s hear it for the local critics, says @lyngardner thestage.co.uk/opinion/as-reg…

@blairgadgie @TheStage (Sorry for slow reply) Yeah, in fact, I've already seen a Lyceum email quoting the good reviews it has received. Joyce is talking about it with James Brining on Front Row on Radio 4 this evening

@WriteAboutTheat @TheStage Genuinely perplexed, Mark. Agree that reviewing risks relations but surely a piece of theatre in the public realm is fair game? The producers will use the current good reviews to 'create a buzz' around the show. Be funny if it you all gave it a stinker once it transfers...😉

Critics have written to the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh to raise a “number of uncomfortable questions” about a decision to prevent national reviews of new musical One Day. Read more 👉 thestage.co.uk/news/national-…

Mark Brown in the Sunday National on this week’s ruling that some Scottish-based critics should not review the biggest Lyceum show of the season, One Day. 15 of us - theatre writers in Scotland - have now written an open letter of protest to the Lyceum board - see below.

The Guardian on our open letter from Scottish theatre writers resisting the idea that the Lyceum's biggest show of the season should be regarded, for reviewing purposes, as a tryout for a later London run. 15 of us felt that we had to put down a marker! theguardian.com/stage/2026/mar…

@LeoElso @TheStage The question is not about who was invited (I was) but who was allowed to review (I wasn’t)

@TheStage Theatre can exist without critics. Critics can't exist without theatre. Never forget WE decide who to invite on OUR house

@blairgadgie @TheStage I was invited to see it, Andy, but also requested not to review for the Guardian. I could have ignored the request but at the risk of tricky relations in future. As you point out, it’s all a nonsense because the internet is international, but technically no London reviews so far

@TheStage Bizarre decision but I don't understand how a theatre can dictate who can and can't review their shows once it's opened? There are already several national reviews online.

A production company has been blasted for creating a 'two-tier' review system, which allegedly implies that both critics and audiences in Scotland are 'less important' than their London counterparts #Echobox=1773517966-1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">thenational.scot/news/25937376.…

Wrote about the crisis in theatre criticism (as all critics must at least once) but like in a unique and quirky meta-critical way x guywebster.substack.com/p/this-is-not-…

Farewell to theatre critic Bill Haggerty, a major Fleet Street journalist and Editor who turned his hand to theatre criticism later in his career with 17 years as West End critic at The Sun and later his local Hammersmith Today website. He was a lovely man and a great colleague KWPR was always happy to welcome to a press night. RIP Bill.

Join Guardian theatre critic @MarkFFisher for an online theatre criticism workshop this Sunday morning howtowriteabouttheatre.com/product/how-to…

📣 An international conversation around the future for theatre criticism 🎭 Introducing Mission Critical, a one-day symposium that will invite critics, artists, audiences and readers to have conversations around the future of theatre criticism. abbeytheatre.ie/whats-on/missi…

Sharpen up your criticism skills. Join Guardian critic @markffisher for a two-hour online How to Write about Theatre workshop on Sat 4 Oct howtowriteabouttheatre.com/product/how-to…

"All critics need training to sharpen their style and widen the experience from which they can forge a critical perspective." thestage.co.uk/opinion/we-mus…

"I saw the last days of serious theatre criticism with Jack Tinker reviewing for the Mail, Nicholas de Jongh at the Standard, Charles Spencer at the Telegraph, Benedict Nightingale at The Times, and Billington of the Guardian" @ThatTimWalker bylinetimes.com/2025/05/16/in-…

@rhysrmann cc this banger in @intermissionmag: intermissionmagazine.ca/artist-perspec…

All theatre is excellent. Nothing must ever be criticised. Everything is the best show ever. Anything less than a four star review is an insult to all the cast members I want to be friends with. Theatre criticism is just personal opinions, not valid evaluation.

My two books, The Edinburgh Fringe Survival Guide and @WriteAboutTheat are among the pirated books being used to train Meta's large language models without permission. I’m asking META to #DoTheWriteThing on Thursday 3 April