156 replies to this topic

[Job]

How amusing that Nicholas Hytner has chosen to bite the gnarled old hands that have fed him for so long. Looks like ageism's OK even if sexism isn't.

I'm the last person to carry the torch for newspaper critics, but I must say Young Nick's being a tad selective over this. OK, so he's unhappy about the response Emma Rice has had for A Matter of Life and Death... but surely he can't deny that last year's Seagull got bad reviews because the critics thought it was pants, not because Katie Mitchell happened to direct it? (I enjoyed it myself, but let that be.) Hasn't Marianne Elliott had universal plaudits for her NT work? Wasn't Melly Still praised to the echo for Coram Boy? Hasn't Thea Sharrock had raves for Equus? No, wor Nick's just being silly.

But on the other hand there's a delicious Schadenfreude to be had from reading the outraged squeals of Benedict Nightingale and Michael Billington this morning. It's like a smoke-filled gentlemen's club on the day some young shaver lets down the very people who sponsored his membership in the first place. There's a play in this somewhere... (Theatre of Inspector Hound's Blood?)

Job

[Jan Brock]

“I know that Katie Mitchell gets misogynistic reviews, where everything they say is predicated on her sex. Gay males have never had a problem in the theatre … The ones who have it worst are the gay women. They really get it in the neck and there’s a lot of sniggering.”

This is quite an odd thing to say on several counts. I know that Katie Mitchell gets some excellent reviews and some poor reviews but I don't know that she gets misogynistic reviews - how does he ? Also, with the single exception (of an excellent director) I personally have no clue whether the many female directors who work in theatre are gay or not, and I doubt whether all the critics do either. Also, who is doing the "sniggering" exactly ? All very odd.

[armadillo]

Is there a link to the Hytner speech/article? (or any of the others mentioned). I'd be interested to read more.

Is Katie Mitchell gay? I saw her as a subject of Improbable Theatre's Lifegame and she certainly had plenty of anecdotes about her heterosexual youth though the subject of her current sexuality didn't come up.

I would be fairly certain that at least 70% of theatre audiences have no idea who is directing a show. I often don't unless it's one of a few big names.

[Job]

Yes, I did I try to put in a link, but WOS seems to have put a bar on h t t p and w w w on this board. I imagine we have our weekend spammers to thank for that. However, if you go to timesonline dot co dot uk and click the 'arts and entertainment' option you'll soon find it.

Job

[Jan Brock]

Is there a link to the Hytner speech/article? (or any of the others mentioned). I'd be interested to read more.

Is Katie Mitchell gay? I saw her as a subject of Improbable Theatre's Lifegame and she certainly had plenty of anecdotes about her heterosexual youth though the subject of her current sexuality didn't come up.

I would be fairly certain that at least 70% of theatre audiences have no idea who is directing a show. I often don't unless it's one of a few big names.

The Hytner quote implies KM is gay, but it is news to me - I know she has a young child. I have no idea why NH is highlighting this (gay) non-issue in such a high-profile way.

[musicals fan]

I have just spotted Lynn Gardner's comments on this in the Guardian and realise that Hytner must be right - after all he gets the support of the three most important cultural critics in the country, each from impeccable unbiased newspapers - Lynn Gardner (Guardian), Kate Bassett (Independent) and Susannah Clapp (Observer). Nothing more needs to be said on this topic.

Mere males had better shut up immediately.

[armadillo]

Your point being? That women are less able to recognise sexism than men? That these critics' opinions aren't worth considering? Surely Lynn Gardner does make some interesting points about the very different backgrounds of male and female drama critics. There is an old boy's network both among critics and among directors/producers  (yes, it can work to the benefit of women too - Marianne Elliott comes from a theatrical family and undoubtedly got her first break through her father) but no way are women fully represented in the theatrical establishment which is ironic when you look at the make-up of audiences (are there any shows that actually get an equal number of men and women?). Of course, one can argue that this doesn't matter but I can't see how this can subject can be said to be not worth discussing, whether on a theatre messageboard or a theatre blog?

And it certainly is interesting that A Matter of Life and Death got good reviews from female critics but poor ones from men. I refuse to believe that this is merely sisterly solidarity - maybe the additions to the piece and the change of emotional emphasis do speak more to women than to men.

[Jan Brock]

And it certainly is interesting that A Matter of Life and Death got good reviews from female critics but poor ones from men. I refuse to believe that this is merely sisterly solidarity - maybe the additions to the piece and the change of emotional emphasis do speak more to women than to men.

NH combines two issues - the male/female one and the gay/straight one - I happen to think that some of his own work, and the work of others he schedules at NT - tends slightly to appeal more to a younger female and gay male audience - "Man of Mode" being one of the less contentious example of this. Given this I suppose his comments are directed at the likes of Michael Billington who don't fall into either of these categories (at the present time, anyway).

This interesting split between the old male daily critics and the younger weekend female ones was also very marked in the reviews of "Pinter's People".

[Job]

NH combines two issues - the male/female one and the gay/straight one - I happen to think that some of his own work, and the work of others he schedules at NT - tends slightly to appeal more to a younger female and gay male audience - "Man of Mode" being one of the less contentious example of this. Given this I suppose his comments are directed at the likes of Michael Billington who don't fall into either of these categories (at the present time, anyway).

Shock news about Michael Billington on the way, Jan? If so, the progress of his hormone therapy will be the stuff of headlines. (Sorry - that's a bit dead white male of me.)

Job