It’s hard to believe that thespyinthestalls.com has now been around for over four years. Starting off single-handedly reviewing a couple of shows, we’re now covering fifty plus performances a month. This growth couldn’t have been achieved without our wonderful team of volunteer reviewers. They come from all walks of life with many different backgrounds – united by their love of theatre. Usually you only get to see a name credit at the end of their reviews, but here we now get to meet some of the team.
Emily
Hello! My name is Emily and I live in London. I have been writing for thespyinthestalls.com for a few months now. It’s been an absolute joy! I am a Drama and Playwriting student, so I love to analyse plays and productions. I covered a few shows up in Edinburgh Fringe this year which really enriched my experience there. I graduate at the end of the year and hope to continue writing and working in the Theatre. There’s something about the theatre that is magic – it’s exciting to see what will unfold. I’ve seen some excellent shows through thespyinthestalls. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in theatre, writing or expressing opinions!
I’ve been reviewing for thespyinthestalls.com for seven months now, and I’m so glad that I took it up! There’s so much fantastic theatre on show in London and writing reviews has given me the opportunity to go to venues and see plays that I never would have known about. It’s great to feel plugged into London’s theatre scene and have the platform to shine a spotlight on smaller productions that don’t always get the attention that they deserve.
I graduated from my MA in The Reception of the Classical World last year for which I wrote about how the portrayal of the ancient world in popular media is used as a didactic tool. Now, I work full-time at a cultural education charity called Art UK. I am passionate about widening participation and making the arts accessible to everyone. Reviewing fits well around my job and gets me out and about rather than slumped in front of the TV after a long day at work! I spend the rest of my time visiting museums and galleries, going on long walks and getting involved in cultural events.
This photo was taken in the lobby of the Bridge Theatre after watching their immersive production of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. Definitely one of the best things I’ve seen this year!
I’ve been reviewing for thespyinthestalls.com for just under a year and my only regret is not starting sooner! Two of my main passions are theatre and writing, so it made sense to combine the two and find a site to start writing for.
I like the fact that reviewing has allowed me to visit a variety of different theatres and see shows I wouldn’t have necessarily known about otherwise. When I’m not working as a charity fundraiser or writing for thespyinthestalls.com, I enjoy performing with a North London based musical theatre company and singing and playing guitar.
When I retired from working three years ago I looked at what I wanted to focus my time on and attending more theatre shows was on my list. In my first year I saw around a hundred shows in the West End and London Fringe as well as in my local Cambridge area.
To keep abreast of activity in the theatre world I followed several accounts on Twitter including thespyinthestalls.com. It was by following this account I became a reviewer; how it happened was I won a competition to see Adam & Eve and Steve. The show was terrific and I messaged to thank the site for the tickets. In their reply they asked if I knew of anyone who would be interested in reviewing. I thought – well I see a couple of shows a week, I believe I know the difference between good and not so good, so why not have a go?
Following the usual trial I had my first show to review – The Cardinal at the Southwark Playhouse. I thoroughly enjoyed the show but rather than coming away with my wife having a general ‘what did you think about that?’ chat, I was on my own with a pressing review to write. I must confess that I found it really difficult at first and spent many hours trying to get my thoughts onto the computer screen. But I did it, pressed send and after a few tweaks from the team my first review was available to the world. It was an exciting moment for me.
Since then I have seen the website grow and have completed almost thirty reviews seeing some quite amazing productions … along with only a couple that didn’t quite hit the spot. Whilst I’m a couple of hours away from most London venues I try my best to fit in as many as my rather full diary allows. I am also pleased to have introduced a regional reviewer to the site.
I don’t usually hang around for photos or autographs after shows, but got this snap of me and the very talented Lucy Penrose who was starring in Judy! at the Arts Theatre. In conclusion it is great fun being a reviewer for thespyinthestalls.com.
We turn down more shows than we actually get to review, this is because we just don’t have enough reviewers to cover everything we’d like to. We’re always looking for reliable people who would be interested in joining our team.
