The ET Hall Of Fame: Retired Reviewers
SInce we started in 2010, we’ve had lots of people come and go. We like to think people leave us for good reasons. Some because they have moved away, some because other life commitments take over. Some even come back after a few years. But whatever the reason, we are grateful for their contributions.
So here you’ll find a list of everyone who has written for us in the past.
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Aaron-Lee is an actor, writer and director based in West London. They are passionate about diverse and innovative small-scale theatre. Aaron has had plays performed at The Cockpit, Bread and Roses and Hen and Chickens Theatre. He cannot wait to get started on his next project. Aaron-Lee is represented by Birdston Talent Management.
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Freelance writing coach. Alan is a literature graduate who now works to help others improve their writing. Bowled over by the National Theatre’s 50th celebrations, he has since gone completely theatre loopy. His return to London, after living abroad in Toronto and Berlin, might have something to do with it. He’ll happily devour drama in all its forms. Doomed lovers, unrequited passion and death all spell a good night out. As does a glass of wine and a packet of crisps. And anything that appeals to his dark and depraved sense of humour is also much appreciated.
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Alexandra’s love of physical theatre first became clear at five years old when she veered off script in the school nativity play. At the entrance of the Angel Gabriel, she cartwheeled across the stage crying ‘Yippee, an angel of the lord!’ and the Virgin Mary burst into tears. Following this auspicious start, she went on to study dance and theatre and is currently doing her Masters in English Literature. When not in the library or at the theatre, she can be found singing jazz professionally, teaching yoga, and growing broad beans.
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Alex Hayward is a playwright, blogger, and public relations professional. Following an unsuccessful decade of novel-writing, he turned his attentions to drama and has never looked back. Outside of theatre, his interests largely revolve around music, records, and the French language - or trying to find the time to learn it.
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Alison is an American writer and arts administrator with an enduring love for London's theatre scene. After calling the UK home whilst earning an MA in Theatre Studies at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, she’s now back in New York City dreaming of cheap(er) theatre tickets and interval ice cream. Though she gets back across the pond as often as possible, Alison can be found in the meantime writing about everything from musicals to museums, tap dancing, and enjoying New York bagels. Enjoys theatre of all kinds, but has a particular penchant for musical theatre, dance, and puppetry.
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Unemployed but not a slacker. Andrew believes that he was dropped in a tub of theatrical acid as a child. Although he did not gain the ability to fly, see through solid objects or shoot laser beams out of his eyes he did gain an intense profound love for everything theatre/TV/film related. He recently worked as an agents assistant in a busy Soho office and is currently looking for work. When he is not viewing theatre, acting or writing you can find Andrew on a platform 10m up in the air, swinging about like a chimpanzee. Did I say swinging, I meant flying. It seems that Andrew is a superhero after all.
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Writer. Anna is a born, and bred Londoner who lost herself up North for a few years, and then got really lost – all the way to Canada. The way to Anna’s theatrical heart is Pinter, onstage gore, or a tall leading man with a Welsh accent. When she’s not out enjoying Shakespeare or something equally cultural, you’ll find her yelling at the TV at Arsenal/Vancouver Canucks/England Cricket Team/her favourite poker players. Two arts degrees have not stopped her from loving cheesy musicals.
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Anna is a London-based writer and theatre maker. She is the co-founder and artistic director of early career theatre company, ‘Dirty Feet’, who make work that provokes conversation and builds community. Anna loves stories and is never far from a piece of written word - whether that be a script, poem, novel, or her journal.
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Anna worked Front of House in a Glasgow theatre whilst studying for one of those four year education thingies in Journalism and Politics. Hailing from somewhere a bit north of Glasgow, moving to London was always the plan and she’s sticking it out until she can afford a wardrobe that’s at least 70% cashmere, and her own flat with sash windows. She hastens to add that she is not that avaricious, just a simple temp worker dreaming of a full-time writing job. Anna’s had stints in newspapers, interned for an MP and currently moonlights as a writer and reviewer
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Anna is gender scholar and Shakespeare nut, and recently wrote a thesis looking at all-women productions of his plays. She blogs about liminality, the dark mists encountered upon leaving university, and cheap wine. She's happiest in wellies and dreams of one day owning a tortoise called Jeff.
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Sarah saw her first place at the Young Vic Theatre on a school trip, and although she can’t remember what it was called it was enough to get her wanting to see theatre all the time! Her friends who live in the real world complain she’s always going to see a play, but when she’s not doing that you can find her attempting to salsa and dreaming of Cuba.
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Bethany is a 24 year old London-based (wannabe!) writer who currently survives on coffee and theatre trips. Although she has no formal theatre experience, she likes to think that the expertise of her thespian friends and flatmates are slowly starting to rub off on her! Her writing experience so far has been largely magazine-based so she’s really looking forward to using this opportunity to develop her writing in a much more creative atmosphere.
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Civil Servant. Brian flirted with drama at school but artistic differences forced a painful separation. At least he knows what his motivation is. Now occupying a safe position in the audience he enjoys all kinds of theatre. He was bitten by the theatrical bug after watching a production of Tommy in his teens. Other passions include films, TV and classic rhythm and blues. He also finds time for quizzes, football and squash. A keen sports fan, his enthusiasm crashes to a halt whenever anyone mentions golf. A musical based on the life of Tiger Woods could be his greatest challenge.
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Bryony trained in dance performance, and having returned from exploring the scene in the U.S and Middle East, (and while there doing all those jobs you have to at some point do in life) she’s back. Currently teaching undergraduate dance technique, writing freelance, and putting off applying for her MA.
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Bryony is an English Literature MA student at Birkbeck and long term theatre addict. Playing angel #14 in her primary school production of 'What a Very Grumpy Sheep' paved the way for a happy long term relationship with the theatre. When not watching plays or manically writing essays way before the deadline (a day is long enough, yes?), she can be found reading, foraging for her next meal, or in the pub. She's waiting for someone to write a play that encompasses all of these hobbies. Bryony would be willing to reprise her role as Angel #14, as it was a groundbreaking performance.
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Doctor of belly dance and data ninja! Caitlin did her PhD about belly dancing (true story.) She even wrote a book or two about it. Then she went out and got a job in data analytics, because it seemed like a good idea at the time. This gives her the power to make an algorithm out of anything... and put sequins on it. Caitlin likes all types of performance, even mimes. You can follow her blog at the link below where she writes about everything from dance to data science.
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Freelance Arts Manager. Camilla took a degree in Pretentious Theatre and regretted it; took a job in theatre fundraising and was made redundant; sold herself into the arts slave labour market and couldn’t afford it. Taking a cushy job in property she started a better degree in Arts Management before getting made redundant again. In order to stop the number of redundancies outstripping the number of degrees she went freelance which in real terms means spending a lot of time in her dressing gown. This, thankfully, doesn’t take too many clients to support, although it feels a lot like being made redundant. She likes new writing, immersive experiences and all attempts to explore the intangible.
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Forensic Psychiatrist. Having left sunny Sicily for London in 2000 to pursue his career, and having done way too much studying since, Don has long realised that life is all about pretending to be someone you really aren’t. In his various reincarnations he is a traveller, a photographer, a cook and an expert in violent offending behaviour. Now he thinks that just because he did a few years acting Sicilian Comedies with friends and passionately likes going to plays in London, he can also be a theatre reviewer. Yeah, right!
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Cat is an English Literature graduate living in Bristol. She is a regular at the Bristol Old Vic (and once shared an entire chocolate cake with her brother in its foyer waiting to see Amelie). Her favourite type of theatre is modern adaptations of old classics, but she’s up for anything romantic. When not watching or writing about theatre, she loves falling over a lot at roller derby and practising baking.
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Eternal student on her way to becoming a crazy cat lady. Although no cats to speak of (yet), having studied physics at University College London and then deciding to pursue philosophy and creative writing certainly puts Celia on the way to loosing all signs of mental sanity. Luckily this works well for physicists and philosophers. Celia loves the theatre including any kind of musical, if you’re unlucky enough to join her for one she will delight you with her own take on every single song, with jazz hands. Massive fan of movie marathons and firefly. Wants to be the female version of Neil Gaiman when she grows up.
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Charlotte loves the theatre and hopes to make money out of it one day, after losing so much to the stalls over the years. Adores Chekhov and abhors Pinter. If you want to find out more then buy her a flat white.
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Chelsey is a staff writer at BuzzFeed UK. Originally from the States, she came to London in 2012 to study at UCL and can't call anywhere else home. She's on the hunt for any fun, moving, or well-executed piece of theatre, and has a serious soft spot for good design, Neil Labute, and Harry Potter actors on stage.
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Joy Waterside, now a lady of a respectable age, has lived, loved, learned, worked and travelled much in several countries before settling along a gentle curve of the river Thames to write the third chapter of her life.
A firm believer that, no matter the venue or the play, one should always wear one's best at a performance, she knows that being acted for is the highest form of entertainment. Hamlet her first love, Shakespeare a lifelong companion and new theatre writers welcome new friends. Her pearls will be glinting from the audience seats both on and off the London's West End.
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Christopher splits his time between immersing himself in the history of the BBC as a PhD student, and writing about bins as a local journalist. He caught the theatre bug back in 2019, and his favourite plays - so far - have been The Son by Florian Zeller, and The Southbury Child by Stephen Beresford. When he's not at the theatre or in a library, you can find him either scouring London's second-hand bookshops or watching the mighty Stevenage FC take on the world.
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Corrie is a recovering arts journalist from Singapore. She collects languages, theatre programmes, and stories that need to be told.
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Theatre addict since the age of nine, Darren is now 43 and Head of Drama at a school in East London; he reviews as often as he can. A proud northerner and an honorary East Londoner, Darren has a particular interest in Queer Theatre.
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Dayna has previously studied a Foundation in Musical Theatre at Mountview academy of Theatre Arts. This year she is going on to do a BA (Hons) in Arts Management at Goldsmiths University, London from 2016-2019. Alongside cocktail making, travelling and all food experiences the world has to offer, her Welsh heritage is finding its way in London.'
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Working at discovering the meaning of life. Debbie has a chequered past of admin and alternative therapy. Too many years ago she was starstruck by Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and Tommy whilst on a school trip from Pembrokeshire to London. After moving to the capital she branched out from musicals to drama, opera and ballet. She loves the Donmar and Tennessee Williams, gets confused by modern dance and still enjoys a sequinned chorus line. In her free time she can be found blogging, growing veggies or reading on the sofa with her cat, Ziggy, on her lap.
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Works in finance. An economics degree, chartered accountancy qualification and many years working in finance is the reason Donna definitely needs to get out more! Theatre is her favourite excuse for a bit of escapism but you might also find her in a gallery, cinema, music gig or festival – anywhere there are no numbers involved actually. Donna’s only credentials for reviewing theatre is that she goes a lot and likes it. She isn’t fussy, she will watch anything, anything at all…once.
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Aspiring arts manager. Having moved to London in search of a better and more exciting life, Elke left a small Swiss village behind her and found herself in this big and ruthless city, where she decided to join the throngs of people clustering to find their dream job in the arts. She considers herself a bit of an actor, but wasn’t good enough to convince anyone else. She loves her bike, and sitting in the sun watching the world go by. Elke firmly believes that we all would be fundamentally better if more people went to the theatre, more often.
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E. C. Mason is a poet, playwright and Ph.D. candidate at Birkbeck, researching race in contemporary poetry. In addition to putting on many exhibitions, performances and readings with the group he founded, Penny Drops Collective, his poems, articles and essays have appeared in various media, including Exclamat!on, [smiths], Undercurrent Philosophy and We Will Be Free anthology. Among other awards, he has won the Bart Moore-Gilbert Essay Prize and the University of Bolton Poetry Award 2018.
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Works in soap marketing. Emily is a British American Graphic Designer, serious Tube Geek, and football fan living in South West London. The only real experience Emily has with drama is the temper tantrums she throws when the District Line isn’t running properly, but she is an enthusiastic writer and happy to be a theatrical canary in the coal mine.
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Clinging to studenthood, eventually plans to sell soul to the world of the media. Emma is coming to the end of a degree in English Literature, which she undertook mainly to develop a haze of Shakespearean knowledge to disguise her fervent love of musicals. Having realised the family performance gene had skipped over her to reach the five younger Shones, she decided that reviewing was the next best way to express her love of theatre. She thrives on anything that doesn’t terrify her, following a series of sleepless weeks post-Woman In Black, and firmly believes that theatre is for everyone, always.
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Emma is a lawyer (and for that she apologises). She likes any and all theatre, but is a sucker for modern theatre and new writing. When she's not watching shows, she's usually offering strong opinions on the best bubble tea in London or packing her trusty backpack and heading off on a trip somewhere in Europe or further afield.
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Eva moved to London to study the relationship between performance and the city. She likes most kinds of theatre, especially when it involves 1) animals, 2) audience participation and/or 3) a revolving stage. Seventies Andrew Lloyd Webber holds a special place in her heart, which she makes up for by being able to talk pretentiously about Shakespeare. When she grows up she wants to be either a Jedi or Mark Gatiss.
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Felicity is a Theology graduate from Manchester University, who has been searching for something meaningful ever since she stopped arguing about the reality of God or the theological roots of anti-Semitism. She has always loved the theatre, from the West End to Broadway and is a sucker for Shakespeare but will never be convinced that Wicked is a winner.
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Fergus is a recent graduate, splitting his nomadic life between a part-time football administration job in Oxford, his family home in sunny Suffolk, and the fringe theatres of London. Since finishing uni, he has devoted as much time as he possibly can to writing about the theatre, to the detriment of both social life and bank balance. He loves Greek Tragedy, Shakespeare, and Miller, but really can’t see what all the fuss is about Chekhov and Ibsen (although he is always willing to be proved wrong).
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Francessca is an English student at King’s College London who prefers the term ‘aspiring novelist and playwright’. But don’t get her wrong, she’s no expert, merely a lover and fanatic of all things theatrical, whether it’s but-gusting comedy or haunting drama. Having acted from an early age, the only thing Francessca potentially loves more than the stage is food. Or cats. It’s a tough one, really.
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Grace is a director, writer, teacher, telephonist, daughter, wife and friend all rolled into one. Being a native northerner, she moved from Yorkshire to London over 10 years ago and has never looked back. Before taking the plunge into directing, Grace studied Physical Theatre and although there's nothing she loves more than gritty dialogue, she loves it when she's surprised by something a bit more physical. A lover of all things dark and disturbing, she will be the first to put her name down for anything that is not-so-middle-of-the-road.
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Dancer, reptile owner and freelance writer. Hanna spends her time copywriting for client projects and caring for her alarmingly needy pet lizard, Dante. Once Dante is fed and watered, Hanna enjoys John Waters films, fast roller coasters, pizza and the music of Meatloaf. Growing up treading the amateur boards, her finest thespian moment was painting herself green as the witch in Rapunzel. All types of theatre are embraced, except for expressive modern dance which is welcomed politely, at a distance. She particularly likes dark comedy and anything which is memorable.
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Fresh from university, Hannah moved to London this September to work for a think tank. Does that make her one of those dreaded career politicians we've heard about...? Anyway, Hannah has written for various arts sites, and began her reviewing career at the Edinburgh Fringe. She is now keen to make the most the most of the Big City. For a stand-up obsessive and long-time theatre fan, this involves seeing as many shows, gigs and performances as possible. And when she's not in a theatre, she can often be found running round a squash court.
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Heather is preparing for her midlife crisis by having a quarter life crisis. She welcomes anyone who might join her in the solution that is a good wine and a fabulous debate about anything from politics (eurgh) to Marmite (yum). She thinks she knows a lot about theatre because she studied it four years ago, unfortunately it is so changeable she wonders why she bothered and can only hope to catch up by reviewing for lovely websites such as this one.
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Originally an English Literature graduate, Helen now works in marketing. She enjoys theatre of all kinds and particularly loves teenie-tiny venues and plays intended for kids. She is normally to be found curled up with a cup of tea and a book or holding deep conversations with the cats of South London.
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Henry is a trained actor who spends most of his working life pouring pints behind a bar. He uses all of his money and free time on going to the theatre, even when he has very little of both. His lofty goal is to visit every theatre in London (especially the weird ones), and he is particularly passionate about giving emerging theatre companies a voice in the cultural conversation. He really likes guinea pigs and also avocados, but he rarely sees the two together.
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Archie Allensby is an accountant and theatre enthusiast from the North West
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Gameshow Developer. Jack works in TV and has devised shows such as Ice Dreams, the frozen alternative to Great British Bake Off, and Tankenstein, a destructive quiz show involving a tank. Neither has yet been commissioned. He was an extra in the Bond film, Skyfall, and played a zombie in Derren Brown: Apocalypse. Neither was as fun as they sound. To counteract his low-brow career, Jack makes pretentious documentaries and video art pieces in his spare time. He enjoys theatre, in particular the weird kind, and is pleased to be part of a predominantly musical-hating blog.
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James spends his time between Brighton and London. So... on the train, mainly. He loves new writing but is more than happy to sit through anything with a good story and great performances. He trained as an actor and can sometimes be seen doing a little bit here and there. He is also aiming to get some of his ideas on paper and in front of an audience. One of these days.
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A Geordie exile, James left the fog on the Tyne to train as an actor at The Poor School and Drama Centre. As a teenaged founder member of semi-feral a cappella group, ‘The Polysonics’, he discovered an enduring love of music and performance. Now, a voice artiste, writer, actor/musician and mandolin enthusiast. James has written for The Royal Opera House and Bath International Music Festival. Theatre is his passion.
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Corporate communications executive by day, aspiring reviewer by night; James is a recent returner to London, having graduated from Queen Mary University in 2014. Schooled under the watchful eyes of the master-reviewers at Bristol 24/7 during his exodus home, James’ theatre experience also includes appearing in bits and pieces throughout his time at school and university. When not trying to hide his note-taking at the back of the venue, James can be found ogling at bicycles he can’t afford and returning to Bristol on the weekend to watch his rugby team lose spectacularly to all the other teams in the premiership
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James is a freelance journalist and writer based in London. It’s kind of like a proper job but he gets to take a lot more baths. He enjoys cocktails and excuses to drink them. He is often found in the Middle East speaking Arabic badly.
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Works in the heritage sector. Jenny lives in London and is lucky enough to work in a Museum (she thinks its lucky but appreciates not everyone would) She loves theatre but never had the talent or determination to get involved in any serious way. As a result she spends a lot of her time kicking around various auditoriums and fringe theatre bars in a vain attempt to be down with the cool theatre kids. Any kind of theatre will do, but especially anything remotely Brechtian.
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Joanna is a Scottish writer and theatre enthusiast. She is currently trudging through both a PhD and a book on both P.B. and M.W. Shelley, teaching here and there, and getting involved in film & theatre projects where possible. Otherwise she is to be found stomping across Bushy Park with her dog River and proclaiming poetry to the skies.
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Joe comes from a small town in West Yorkshire called Hebden Bridge. He currently works in the Civil Service as as a policy adviser, having graduated from Leeds University a few years ago after studying International History and Politics.
Outside of work, he enjoys mountain biking and badminton as well as taking part in amateur theatre performances. He also enjoy volunteering for animal welfare and mental health charities.
Joe has enjoyed theatre from a young age, savouring the opportunity to escape into a story. He believes theatre is an immersive experience in a way that cannot be replicated to the same extent via screen.
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John drives a desk and laptop most days of the week, but lives for the chance to escape on his time off into art of any kind. Like many others, has no formal background in the arts and theatre beyond a children's drama club, that we're told he was not very good in, and a budding (unsuccessful) hobby writing poetry. In particular he enjoys any play that turn the personal political, and anything that challenges our preconceptions about what is art, what is theatre and how weird can things really get?
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Works in arts marketing/administration. Julia studied theatre at university and once upon a time thought she wanted to be an actor. Upon spending most of her time working in Accessorize in pursuit of the dream she opted for the route of pragmatism and did an English Masters in Shakespeare instead. Julia has been in London for four years where she’s worked in and outside of the arts. In addition to Shakespeare, she loves a good kitchen sink drama and most of the classics but will see pretty much anything. Except puppets – she has a tough time with puppets.
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Works as a night nurse. Julie is a nurse working in Brighton. She once appeared at Nottingham Playhouse (age 13 years) and has never acted since. Julie studied English and American literature at university and is fan of Pinter, Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill. She also loves musicals and opera and is a regular at Glyndebourne Opera House – in the cheap seats. Although new to theatre reviewing, she is a dedicated theatre goer, in particular to fringe theatre, and she is not averse to puppets (especially in musicals).
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Originally from sunny Phoenix, Arizona, Kaely ditched the heat and decided to get better acquainted with rainy weather. And while she still moans about freezing most of the time, she secretly delights in the variety of London skies. Currently she is studying for the big MA in International Journalism at City University in the hopes that a London network will take a liking to her. The goal is to serve enough cups of tea so they will promote her to being a “real journalist.” Passionate about the arts, you can find her wandering around Shoreditch snapping pictures and communing with hipsters.
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Kate is a newcomer to London and currently wide-eyed in wonder at everything the city has to offer, including it’s incredible, diverse theatre scene. A PR / Communication executive by trade she’d been looking for an outlet to use her powers for good and producing honest, unbiased theatre reviews for Londoners seemed like just the ticket! When not immersed in culture at the theatre or scratching out a living in this wonderful (but ruinously expensive) city she’s usually to be found thoroughly investigating the dazzling array of drinking establishments in the capital or alternatively in the gym undoing all the damage she’s done.
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Since Katharina left her small home town in Austria she has been involved in various theatre productions as a stage manager and technical operator. Despite her opinion that the funniest moments in theatre happen backstage she enjoys watching plays as an audience member without having to worry about cues and cleaning up the mess afterwards.
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Katie is in her final year of studying physical theatre at East 15. Originally from Scotland, her love of theatre started when she couldn’t avoid it at the Edinburgh fringe (best time of the year!) When not acting she spends her time swinging on a trapeze, writing spoken word and singing. She dreams of writing and performing in her own solo play that she will review herself and therefore be 5 stars.
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Paralegal. Katy also considered a career in theatre for a brief spell, and is therefore marginally less of a disappointment to James than Louie. While doing her geography degree she wrote her dissertation on ‘personality stereotypes and places of theatre’… and no, she doesn’t understand it either. She decided against the theatre life when she realised she would probably have to give up going to the theatre if she worked in it, and so she is currently pursuing a law career. Katy does enjoy musicals and loves seeing shows with strong female roles.
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Kelvin studied English Literature at the University of East Anglia and wrote a Ph.D. thesis on representations of place in twentieth-century prose fiction. Since moving to London and getting a real job in 2015, he has found himself drawn more to the theatre, with a preference for modern drama and comedy. He currently works for an exam board and enjoys reading, writing and visiting galleries.
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Kim's taste in music and film are eclectic to put it nicely, and weird to put it not nicely. His tastes in theatre however are much more traditional - a murder mystery with a few good twists, a musical with a few good songs or a comedy with stupid characters saying stupid things will all do it. Away from the theatre Kim enjoys good public policy, living in Hackney and drinking milk.
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Kit is an actor and works with young people with autism and special needs. She studied method acting at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and Applied Theatre at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Kit has had a love affair with theatre since she was 5, and any spare moment she gets she will be in the audience of a West End show or the back of a grisly London theatre pub.
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Laura is a London-born arts evangelist and self-confessed jack-of-all-trades. She ended up studying English and Medieval studies at UCL, then worked in publishing before running off to Tokyo to eat sushi and study Noh drama. Now back in London, she's a stage design agent, storytelling promoter, singer, and radio sound engineer, among other things. She loves seeing all kinds of theatre, and she's particularly partial to anything a bit mythological.
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Since obtaining one of those really handy Drama and Theatre Studies degrees 10 years ago, Laura has spent most working hours managing venues / bars / catering operations and festivals. Happily in an artistic, creative environment, accidentally running things operationally. Theatre has played a really important part in her life forever and a love of classic and contemporary playwrights and an innate need to go to the theatre at least once a week, then make people to talk to her about it, mean the spark has never gone. She also has a lifelong adoration for a great big musical. Which she’s not ashamed of one bit.
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Laura is a former actor on a good day, or ‘failed actor’ on a bad day. She works in Drama education, as a children’s entertainer, an event catering waitress and a private tutor and is way too old to have this many jobs. She has a degree in Theatre Performance from Marymount Manhattan College in NYC and an MFA in Staging Shakespeare from the University of Exeter, both of which have qualified her to work entry-level jobs and "(if you can't do,) teach." She co-ran a fringe theatre company she founded for 5 years but learnt the hard way there are easier ways to lose money. She loves any form of theatre really, though Shakespeare is her favourite and dreams of going back on the stage one day.
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Works for in Central London as a Press Officer. Having been brought up in a small town deep in the Welsh Valleys, Laura completed an English degree and a Magazine Journalism Postgrad and eventually moved to London to live her dream of working in the theatre. Spending many years as an avid Alan Rickman and Harry Potter fan (we defy you to find someone who knows more about the series than her!), she ventured into the ‘Muggle’ theatre world by accident during a free afternoon in London. She spends most nights in London attending various productions while volunteering at several theatres as an Usher and Press/Marketing Assistant. She currently resides in London.
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Works in publishing. Lauren hails from the tiny State of Delaware, USA, where she started appearing in Am Dram performances at the age of eight. Twenty years later, she’s still going and obviously doesn’t know when to quit. Now the proud owner of a charming English husband, she has lived in London since 2008 and has been trying her darndest to forge a career in publishing. Maybe it’s because she’s American that she can’t deny her love of musicals.
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Leo is a very artsy Drama student. They love alternative, especially goth fashion and almost every kind of art - from sketching and watercolours to makeup and characterization. Leo thought it would be interesting to connect being an actor with critical writing so here they are.
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Leto is originally from the Midlands. He came to London three years ago to study Drama and performance at London South Bank University, where he is currently in his third year and preparing to go on to do a Masters in theatre directing. He loves seeing a variety of different theatre from musicals to straight plays, but does have a soft spot for interactive and immersive theatre. Other interest include volunteer work at local community and youth centres.
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After first completing a foundation course in Musical Theatre, Lily then went on to study an English Literature degree. Since graduating last summer, she has spent a great deal of time watching and writing about theatre. Watching is usually teamed with a glass of red and writing with a strong coffee. Aiming to try out a new coffee shop every time she writes, she now knows the London coffee shop scene like the back of her hand, but will always forget the name of where she’s been within ten minutes of leaving. She hopes to work in theatre press and marketing. Loves: rucksacks, red lipstick and rap music.
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Screenwriting student. With an unhealthy love for musicals that can’t and won’t be tamed, she spends a lot of her time squealing in the West End. Having next to no friends, she spends the rest of her time writing, writing, writing. She will happily devour any and all kinds of theatre, and being born and bred in Brighton has made her open to the weird and wonderful. She is learning French and Cornish alongside writing, both of which will be equally useless to her. So is knowing every single word to Les Misérables, but someone has to.
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After spending four years in Edinburgh, ostensibly gaining a History MA but really scampering around the arts scene via radio, writing and performing, Madeleine moved to London to get a ‘proper job’. Now working in politics, she enjoys spending her free time roaming around London's many theatres, pretending to be Sylvie Guillem in ballet classes and sampling as many restaurants as possible.
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In a former life, Maria studied languages and worked as a Personal Assistant. She is an occasional playwright who delights in putting feisty women at the centre of her stories. Some of her monologues, inspired by and written during Lockdown 2020, have been published in an anthology. She counts herself lucky (and spoilt for choice!) to have some top fringe theatres in her London neighbourhood. She particularly enjoys devouring dark comedy plays. Two of her theatre highlights are watching the formidable Ralph Fiennes perform at Almeida Theatre and the late Helen McCrory perform at The Old Vic.
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I believe that theatre will always be my one true love. After having an affair with Architecture and Journalism, I decided to combine my passions and become a Londoner - something I've been dreaming of for a while. Although being in nature is my preferred method of therapy, the feeling after the lights are switched off in an auditorium is more than exhilarating.
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Marni is studying for a masters degree in creative writing. When she's not working, studying, writing her novel, reviewing theatre or producing with Mind Your Head, sometimes she gets to sleep! Her lifetime ambitions are to win the Booker Prize and find an extra eight hours a day, so she can fit in more activities. She particularly likes thought-provoking theatre that questions what it means to be human. One day she hopes she'll see a play that will reveal the meaning of life. Not asking for much at all...
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Martin is an editor of books on psychoanalysis as well as a writer and poet. Theatre has always been ‘that thing that was always there that he is unable to avoid’ and so he loves it as he does any other member of his family. He has variously been described as ‘the man with all the t’s’, ‘the voice of the indifference’ and ‘Jesus’, but overall he is just some guy. He wakes up, does some stuff then returns to slumber, ad infinitum. A container of voices. He hates mushrooms.
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Works in advertising. Like most Capricorns, Michael doesn’t place much stock in astrology – except on Thursdays. When he’s not writing his magnum opus War and Peace 2: Suffering from Writer’s Cramp or working on his next documentary for the Sundance Film Festival – Why Flip Flops Are a Health Hazard – Michael likes to burst bubble wrap to relax and drink his own body weight in tea. Michael lives in the outer ‘burbs of London.
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Morgan is a 23-year-old theatre-maker, bass player, and internet historian hailing from North America. She is currently completing her Masters in Advanced Theatre Practice at RCSSD specializing in gig and verbatim theatre. Morgan works as a script reader, venue manager, and freelance dramaturg. In her free time, she makes beats on a loop station in her bedroom and fantasizes about being a David Byrne inspired drag king, ("Byrne Baby Byrne").
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After helping out on university productions as stage manager and photographer, Nadia fell properly in love with theatre when she saw her friends’ staging of The Revenger’s Tragedy, and even deeper when she saw Fiona Shaw’s Mrs Millamant in Congreve’s The Way of the World. Her other life has something to do with film.
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Blogger and copywriter. An eager bookworm, Natalie's passion for theatre stems from her love of Shakespeare, whom she hopes actually resembled Joseph Fiennes a little bit. Having always been a bit of a musical snob, it wasn't until she'd been writing about them for a year that she finally thought it was about time she actually saw one. She quickly fell in love with The Phantom of the Opera, which has proved to be unrelenting in its hold on her since. Balancing her love of Renaissance drama with her idolisation of Andrew Lloyd Webber isn't easy to justify but she's still holding her breath for a Hamlet musical!
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A Scottish South African Londoner. From being a TV presenter to an extra in Sinbad, and from being Big Ears in The Adventures Of Noddy to the evil Herr Zeler in The Sound Of Music, Neil had a fun acting career post graduating from theatre school. He stupidly made the promise to himself to stop acting if he didn't have his Oscar by 30 so as the big 3-0, and lack of a gold statuette, loomed he retired and is now a publicist. The arts is in his life blood so Neil will often be found in a theatre getting goosebumps from a play, balling his eyes out at a musical or interacting with a random piece of modern art in a gallery. From entering the world,quite literally, during a performance of The Towering Inferno, he's always had a passion for cinema and recently launched a film blog as the dream one day would be to be a full time film and theatre critic.
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Originally from West Virginia (yes, like the song "Country Roads"), Nora has a BFA in Acting from West Virginia University and an MA in Music Theatre from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. After finishing her degree, she managed to convince the UKBA to let her stay, and is now working in London as a freelance acting, vocal, and audition coach (and bartending, because London is expensive). When she's not working or reviewing theatre, she spends her time writing and producing YouTube comedy videos with Streetlights, People! Productions. Nora enjoys long walks along the Thames, cocktails, and Kraft macaroni and cheese (the shaped kind).
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An American theatre artist living in London, Olivia received her BFA in Acting from Arcadia University in Philadelphia, and has received her MA in Applied Theatre from the Royal Central School and Drama just last year. She has performed across Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and London. She is co-founder of her company Art Lingual, which provides workshops for international students and refugees developing English language skills through drama. She’s wanted to write theatre reviews for a while, but did not have the platform to do so until now. Her theatre tastes include new works, the classics and musicals. She loves Italian food, exploring new places and polka dancing.
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Paul spends most of his life in the dark either watching films or at the theatre. When he isn’t in the dark he can be found reading books, eating cake and watching cricket - usually at the same time - listening to opera, The Handsome Family and The Ramones. He has a passion for the Arts and has been working in radio so long he remembers when a crystal set had nothing to do with Breaking Bad.
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Paul’s interest in theatre stems exclusively from an ambition that one day in the future he will open the 40,000 seater Paul Testar Theatre, the world’s first completely aerial theatre, in the skies above West London. While not completely focused on fulfilling this entirely realistic aim he loves watching pieces of theatre that defeat expectation and can turn the banal into the extraordinary. He works in TV, has a degree in English Literature (it's a blessing and a curse) and also writes, directs and produces for the theatre.
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Although my current day job is as a Business Producer and Reporter on BBC Breakfast TV, I have been involved with the stage for as long as I can remember. I am an aspiring actor (amateur stage credits include Stephano in The Tempest, Hal in Loot and an award-nominated performance of Freddie Page in The Deep Blue Sea) and also an avid theatregoer. Before my career in radio and TV, I worked behind the scenes in various professional roles at theatres across the country. This included a spell as the Press Officer for the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, encouraging reviewers to visit! I have previously written reviews for WhatsOnStage and am currently hosting a weekly musical theatre show on Box Office Radio.
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R. Bell has been in theatre literally his entire life, having been raised in an opera house by a singer and a theatre director. He has acted, directed, written for the stage, and has attended summer Shakespeare festivals for nearly two decades. He is devoted to supporting new theatre artists and creators.
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By day Rachael is on the reception of a North London secondary school inevitably being deafened by a parent, by night she is frequently found wandering the London streets desperately trying to kill time post-detention and pre-theatre. She has a BA in Film & American studies from King's and prides herself on her first essay being on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, final dissertation on Anime. As you do. She has a terrible penchant for stage door and live tweeting her cultural adventures, sometimes simultaneously. She has never knowingly turned down pizza nor jazzy socks.
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Rachael is a young actress who recently finished training at East 15 Acting school. Prior to her masters in acting Rachael studied English Literature at Sussex University. Rachael began reviewing theatre as a way to combine her love of writing with her love of theatre.
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Having intermittently been reviewing since the formation of ET, Rachel is currently taking a year off from working as a doctor to go back to University and study Medical Humanities, in an effort to basically do that English degree she didn’t have a chance to do at medical school. It does mean there is plenty of time to get back into seeing loads of theatre in London, which she can basically pass off as further studying. She’ll watch pretty much anything, with a penchant for an odd venue and anything with pretty lighting design.
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Freelance journalist. Rahul has had many passions and interests over the years – anthropology, Danish food and disco to name a few. They come and go at an alarming rate. A rare constant throughout though has been his love of theatre. Too cowardly to tread the boards himself, he has had to content himself with a life of watching and criticising from the side lines. By day Rahul works as a freelance journalist, while at night you are likely to find him watching a play in a pub theatre somewhere in North London. As a great fan of all things unknown and odd, Rahul has a particular fondness for the newer and less commercially palatable fringes of theatre.
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Civil Servant. Having studied drama at A level and been in numerous “Am Dram” companies, Rhiannon realised she was never going to be any good on stage and decided to stick to watching (and judging) others. After studying law at university, doing a dissertation on canoeists’ rights to water and going into a civil service job which sounds beyond depressing, she now fills her spare time with things that, hopefully, ensure she’s got interesting things to talk about. She spends countless hours netball playing, baking and playing board games – all of them . She enjoys all theatre with few preferences except a slight dislike to Greek Tragedies. She unashamedly loves musicals, fancy dress and Michael Buble!
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Sally is a recovering regional journalist from south Wales who's headed for the big smoke to work on magazines and definitely not to see way more drama. Honest. She keeps herself busy exploring off West End venues and will watch anything - anything - once. Thinks there's a special place in hell for people who talk during plays and please don't get her started on noisy sweet-eaters. She likes to tinker at the odd play or screenplay but mainly hopes to become the next Simon Stephens by quaffing wine on the balcony at the Young Vic.
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Post-degree, Samantha abandoned her dream of becoming a psychologist in favour of the far more sensible pursuit of stage and screen glory. She knows how being crucified on stage feels: having jingled her way onto the small screen as a belly dancer and gotten to grips with a shirtless Chris Hemsworth on the big one, she was unlucky enough to be mistaken for Jesus on her own theatrical debut. By day, she indulges her other weakness - clothes - as a fashion writer and stylist. She occasionally makes it onto the catwalk herself, sporting an increasingly avant-garde assortment of hairdos.
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Digital Marketer, wife and taxi driver to 3 children, Sammi has always loved the theatre and uses it as much needed downtime. She loves musicals and anything that makes her smile and laugh and is quite happy to admit that anything highbrow goes straight over her head. She was keen on amateur dramatics many moons ago but now realises that she is better off watching than performing. When not at the theatre she likes blogging, cooking and sharing a glass of red with her friends.
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Sarah is currently undertaking a degree in English Literature & she is loving being back in education which also fulfils her passion for reading. She’s enjoying exploring new genres & at the moment has a new found interest in sci-fi / horror, but anything from Shakespeare to musicals she finds equally enthralling!
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Greek mythology buff and beauty obsessive. Sarah left university with a degree in Ancient History and decided to venture down the career path most logical to a Classics graduate; Beauty PR. When she’s not knee deep in cosmetics, she can usually be found buried in a book, and loves the excuse to write about anything and everything. Sarah is all about guilty pleasures; eating chocolate spread with a spoon whilst watching Grey’s Anatomy is her idea of a wild Saturday night. She’s also partial to a good musical every now and then, and isn’t even ashamed to admit it.
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Sarah is an actress, writer and musician. She also teaches Comedy, Drama and Singing and spends her remaining time coming up with Dragon’s Den pitches. Her favourite style of theatre is ‘good theatre,’ especially comedies and musicals. Her favourite artists/companies of the moment are Les Enfants Terribles, Kill The Beast and Trygve Wakenshaw. Sarah promises to try not to steal any jokes, or let her envy of amazing shows get in the way of her reviews.
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Studied English lit in the heathen former colony now governed by a radioactively tinted overlord. A theatre aficionado, lover of dumplings and crosswordophile.
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Seb Flatau is a writer-critic-mess born and raised in London. He has an MA in playwriting from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and a fake oscar from Madame Tussauds. He’s an internationally produced playwright, a published reviewer, and a hater of the Oxford comma.
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Not much is known about the man who calls himself Stephen St Clement. Is he the son of a murdered farmer out for revenge against the cattle rustlers who ruined his childhood? Is he a former government operative on a mission to tear down the web of corruption he once served? Is he a being from another dimension sent to alter the course of our history? Who truly knows? All that can be said for certain is that he has a passion for theatre and the critical observation thereof... and that's all you really need to know.
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Susana is a Colombian designer interested in performing arts and textiles practices. She likes thinking of fictional characters: on their stories, gestures and atmosphere. She is interested in elements that are rejected by etiquette norms. For example she sees glamour in the crude, the abject, the uncomfortable, the irregular, the taboo, the ugly and the absurd. She enjoys writing and drawing about it. Susana has worked in films and theatre as production designer, costume and props designer.
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Writer. Thomas is holding out for his big break. He once visited an astrologist in Iceland, who said 2014 was going to be a big year for him. Counting down the days, he keeps himself occupied writing arts and entertainment articles for the Australian Times, films reviews for Filmdude.com, and cover letters. He is also assessing shows for The Offies (The Off West End Theatre Awards), and volunteering at film festivals. His ambition is to become an arts and entertainment editor for a major publication. He likes seeing all types of theatre: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
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Tim likes to spend his evenings sitting in silence in dark rooms. Sometimes there’s a play going on in front of him. He has no career to speak of and no money. To avoid contemplating these facts he watches plays and reviews them. It doesn’t help. He has no strong preferences when it comes to theatre, but he tends to like shows that are good more than ones that aren’t.
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After failing to run away with the travelling circus at an early age, Tim never had the chance to fulfill his dream career as understudy to the knife thrower's glamorous assistant. Putting this early set-back to one side, Tim has subsequently carved out a career in the equally glamorous trade of public policy. Outside of paid employment he can often be found hunkered down in the stalls of one of London's many theatres; pen eagerly gripped in one hand, paper held tight in the other and a glass of red wine wedged precariously between his knees.
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Tom is studying English and History at University, and loves the vibrancy and peculiarities of Fringe Theatre. He has no formal theatre training but loves crafting a review and getting his thoughts across. He aims for his reviews to be charitable and as honest as possible.
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Vicki is a writer, director and incessant coffee-drinker. She is also the Artistic Director of Empty Photo Theatre, whose work has been shown to lots of lovely people at the Edinburgh and Camden Fringe Festivals. Vicki has had her scripts performed at new writing showcases across London, and has also directed new work by other writers. She has worked in regional theatre, theatrical management and, for a blessedly short period of time, in a temporary book shop. When she isn’t writing opinion pieces for Everything Theatre she writes a blog called Sarcastickled, as well as articles for Elite Daily and Miro Magazine. She has also been known to knit occasionally.
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Vicki is a dance and theatre studies graduate, specialising in Shakespeare and Early Modern theatrical practices. She moved to London to study and stayed for the arts, theatre and life that the capital brings. By day she works in heritage education, by night you'll most likely find her tap dancing, taking photographs, browsing vintage clothes shops for anything 1940s, or in the upstairs room of a pub performing improvised comedy in the style of film-noir.
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Zoe is fresh out of university, trying to stay busy to keep her looming existential crisis at bay. She’s been a huge fan of theatre ever since her debut role of the ‘Jellyfish’ in the christmas play, aged 4. Since her days in the limelight ended, she much prefers enjoying a show from the comfort of the audience, primarily watching comedy and musicals but she’s down for anything that supports live theatre!
Everything Theatre Reviews, interviews and news for theatre lovers, London and beyond
