The fringe is unique. It is a cauldron of simmering hopes and dreams. It is a plethora of ideas and ideals. It is a hot-potch of the most mundane, the most intriguing and cutting edge theatre experiences. A mix of the predictable, the mediocre and the excellent in fourth wall play writing next to the experimental, the irreverent and genre busting. Who would be a critic with such a wide range of shows to cover and who would dare rate such a mixture of work with confidence, insight and knowledge.
It must be a challenge. The review is strong currency and the purpose of being in Edinburgh is primarily to court critical feedback to sell your show to punters, programmers and producers. Now some critics hold more sway than others. Certain names and publications will gather greater interest of course. However the 5 star review from the fictitious publication “Say Anything Clever” will look just fine stapled to your print materials. And surely catch a passing eye. 5 stars … the glittering endorsement that we all seek, eagerly. 4 stars … an acceptable standard and still eye catchingly good. 3 Stars is a mediocre stain and 2 stars a damnation. 1 star is an ironic plus point, potentially. Some people, I am told, will visit a show to ratify its true awfulness!
As a theatre maker we live and die by the sword. We court the broad range of press, queue for hours to tempt them in with our smartly written press releases and write to them urging them to consider this show above the 3000 on offer. It’s an interesting position. And this first week has seen a racing range of emotions. The anxious wait after a reviewer has been in can be excruciating. The frustration of a poorly written review, that seems to misunderstand everything you as a performer, writer or director are attempting to do. The excitement of a 5 star endorsement is thrilling. Providing comments that will be suitable for sharing on social media, print material and spoken word. Words you can share with your family with a nod of pride. Often three reviewers can be in the same show and three different reviews will appear as if those scribes had been on different planets. At this point there is no comeback, no opportunity to straighten them out or shake their hand. The transaction is done and here is your receipt, the report, the final non-negotiable grade, the review.
So with no further I do… a break down of the early reviews for (F.E.A.R.).
Let’s start at the top.
Broadway Baby’s Disa Anderson writes … “This show is a real piece of art. Did it come to a clear conclusion? No. Does it matter? Not the slightest. You are really missing out if you don’t see this show. Just leave your children at home.” She comments on the rude language and on the sex and drugs and rock and roll. She takes in the whole experience from entering the space. And of course I love it. Every word. It’s a 5 star thriller all right and I clip those stars to every flier I have and relish the words “This show is a real piece of art.”
Then there is A Younger Theatre. Samson Hawkins writes, “Gareth Clark is a wonderfully affable man. He is warm, likeable and engaging. He performs with gusto and his joy of performing is infectious. He works with the crowd wonderfully and is someone who is able to have an intimate conversation with whoever is watching him.” All good, right? Stuff I like the sound of, obviously. But he goes on to add…”(Fear) has lots of potential, but so far seems as if it is a work in progress.” Hmm… OK, hear what you’re saying and then there are those 3 stars. The unusable stain of any production.
More amusingly Matt Owen writes for 730Review “I don’t think I get (FEAR). By which I mean, I don’t understand it, I can’t see its point” He goes on to question whether he is too naïve to review this show. It’s an honest response and one that made me question why he would then go on to review it. But he soldiers on and questions the shaky, one-sided political view of the performance. More smiles from me… I’m not trying to be News Night here. It’s another 3 star review… a could do better type synopsis.
And there’s more. It’s not just the reviewers who have their say, it’s the audience too and this means mountains to me. Just last night Andrew left a comment on the Ed Fringe Box office site that finished with the words “It’s jam packed from start to finish, its raw, unapologetic and easily one of the best shows I’ve seen this year!” I raised my arms like a footballer when I read that. Cerys left a comment that closed with the words “If you’re looking for honesty, flawless choreography and to be left feeling liberated, look no further. Just fantastic.”
These audience reviews on the Ed fringe site are an option you can opt out of when you register. They are not always good though. It’s something I suppose we have to take on the chin despite the absolute feeling of dread at reading that someone felt I had acted inappropriately towards audience members. However there it is and as some have said before … there is no such thing as bad publicity. Well I don’t agree. And I certainly don’t like it.
And there dear reader is where we are at to date. The grading criteria of theatre in the UK is set. Here the 1 to 5 star system, within the press, blog sites and opinion setters, is an established tool of assessment. Is it subjective? Of course it is. Is it flawed? Well yeah. Do we love it? When those stars are multiples above three… we adore it.
Gareth
(F.E.A.R.) is at Zoo Venue, Pleasance, Edinburgh from 4 – 28 August