MEET THE EDITORIAL TEAM

The core in-house editorial team at Whatsonstage.com is led by editorial director Terri Paddock and deputy editor Theo Bosanquet. Our chief critic and contributing editor is Michael Coveney and house photographer is Dan Wooller. The in-house team is supplemented by the editors for our regional and specialist sections, whose biographies will be added shortly, as well as our newly appointed theatregoer reporters. There are also a number of regular additional contributors to the regional and Off-West End sections.

Core team

Terri Paddock - Editorial director terri@whatsonstage.com Terri has been in charge of the editorial content on Whatsonstage.com since it was founded in 1996 and became a director of the company after a management buyout in 2000. She oversees all content on the website and in our now bi-monthly sister print title, What’s On Stage Magazine (formerly Theatregoer). Amongst other duties, she also regularly chairs post-show Q&As with leading actors, directors and playwrights on our Whatsonstage.com Outings and hosts the annual Whatsonstage.com Awards. Born and raised in the US and emigrated to the UK in 1991, Terri was formerly a freelance journalist whose work appeared in publications including the Evening Standard, Independent, Daily Express and The Times. She is also the author of two published novels, Come Clean and Beware the Dwarfs.
Michael Coveney - Contributing editor & chief critic One of the country’s most respected drama critics, Michael has written about theatre for over three decades, as editor of Plays and Players, and as staff critic on the Financial Times, Observer and Daily Mail. His books include a history of the Glasgow Citizens Theatre and biographies of Maggie Smith, Mike Leigh and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Michael joined Whatsonstage.com in April 2006. He provides overnight reviews of all London openings and gives more insights into the life of Theatreland in his personal blog. Beyond Whatsonstage.com, Michael also regularly contributes to the Independent, Guardian, Observer, New Statesman, Prospect and BBC Radio’s Front Row. He was born in London and educated at St Ignatius College and Worcester College, Oxford.
Theo Bosanquet - Deputy editor & Off-West End editor theo@whatsonstage.com Since graduating with a degree in Drama from Bristol University in 2004, Theo has worked variously as an assistant theatre director, script editor and web content editor. In April 2008 he joined Whatsonstage.com, where he contributes and edits content across the main site, regional and specialist microsites as well as overseeing the Off-West End section. He hails originally from Northumberland, where he was a member of the 2004-05 Arts Council-funded Interact theatre training scheme.

Theatregoer Reporters

Over 450 people applied for our handful of specially created theatregoer reporter positions. The successful candidates were selected from extremely high-calibre shortlists.

Catherine Surowiec - CD & DVD reviewer catherine_tr@whatsonstage.com A transplanted American (by way of New England, California and New York City), Catherine has been based in London since 1985, and is delighted to live in one of the world's most vibrant theatre capitals. In "real" life she works as an independent film historian, researcher and editor, specialising in film publications. But musicals have been a lifelong passion - she readily admits she will watch and listen to anything with singing and dancing and has been an avid collector of all things related to musical theatre for years. She is thrilled by this opportunity to bring her knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to writing about theatre recordings and DVDs.
Corinne Furness - Blog correspondent corinne_tr@whatsonstage.com Corinne is a playwright, dramaturge and non-recovering blogger. Currently studying for an MA in Writing for Performance at Goldsmiths College, her first play, Some Sort of Beautiful, was a finalist for the Cameron Mackintosh Award for New Writing. She is a Literary Associate for StoneCrabs Theatre, reviews for TotallyTheatre.com and has been blogging for longer than she cares to think about on her personal blog, Distant Aggravation. distantaggravation.blogspot.com
David Grewcock - Video correspondent david_tr@whatsonstage.com After recently graduating from Arts Ed, London, David joined the all-male cast of The Mikado playing Pish Tush (Union Theatre) and then went on to dance captain for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Birmingham Rep). He works as an associate artist with the National Youth Theatre and has recently been assistant director for Gecko theatre company on Depth Charge (Lyric Hammersmith) and assistant choreographer for Much Ado About Nothing (Open Air, Regents Park). David is based in London and represented by Janice Tildsley Associates. He is also a regular blogger for The Stage and each fortnight selects Whatsonstage.com's "Top Theatre Video Picks".
Ian Miller - TV editor ian_tr@whatsonstage.com For the last ten years, Ian has been working in various guises for music publications. After running his own webzine for a number of years, he moved into the world of freelancing, primarily as a photographer, but also as a videographer and writer. His photography work has been featured in magazines, newspapers and websites worldwide - from NME to The Times to Rolling Stone. Ian is delighted to be a part of the Whatsonstage.com team in a role that combines several of his professional and personal passions. You can follow Ian via twitter and on his personal website. www.ianmillerphotography.co.uk
Jo Caird - Off-West End deputy editor offwestend@whatsonstage.com Jo is a freelance arts and travel journalist. She writes on a broad range of issues relating to the British arts scene, encompassing the worlds of theatre, cinema and literature. Her features, interviews and reviews appear regularly in publications including the Sunday Times Culture, the Daily Telegraph, The Stage and The Big Issue. Jo is also a successful travel journalist, writing regularly for Condé Nast Traveller, as well as a number of other travel publications. www.jocaird.com
Nancy Groves - Off-West End deputy editor offwestend@whatsonstage.com Nancy grew up just down the road from Wimbledon's Polka Theatre, so it's no surprise that she has always loved the stage. Arts reporter at Newsquest South London for three years, she is now a busy freelance writer, contributing to a range of publications including the Independent, the Guardian, The Stage and the Evening Standard. While she loves the West End, she's never happier than being trapped in a black box or a room above a pub watching the best in fringe theatre. She also works part-time for independent stand-up specialists, Good Sense of Humour Comedy.
Laura Silverman - Book reviewer laura_tr@whatsonstage.com Laura Silverman is a features sub-editor and book critic for the Daily Mail. She has also written for other national newspapers, worked as a TV researcher and spent an obligatory summer at the Edinburgh Fringe accosting visitors with flyers to plug a new work (or "world premiere"). An avid reader, Laura likes to buy scripts after a performance, believing she will one day look at them. Following a love affair with Beckett, she now enjoys less depressing drama: quick wit, controversy and innovative sets are all the better. Laura studied Philosophy & Theology at Oriel College, Oxford, where she specialised in medieval mystery plays.
Rowena Betts - Gossipmonger rowena_tr@whatsonstage.com Rowena's two great passions are combined through Whatsonstage.com: writing and theatre. After graduating in 2007 from the University of Portsmouth in Creative Arts and Media, she has since worked in advertising on Inside Soap magazine. She commutes into the heart of the West End from Colchester every day - giving her plenty of writing time! Rowena is currently half-way through her first novel and is an avid blogger. Enjoying nothing better than a night at the theatre with hugely diverse tastes, her favourite shows include Hairspray and Arthur Miller's All My Sons.

Regional Editors

The Whatsonstage.com Regional network is edited by an experienced and dedicated team providing up-to-the-minute news, reviews and features.

Joseph Pike - Scotland editor scotland@whatsonstage.com Joseph Pike is the Scotland Editor of Whatsonstage.com. He has written for the Observer, managed press relations for 37 shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and carried out political research at the UN Development Programme in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He lives in Edinburgh.
John Dixon - North East editor (Newcastle) northeast@whatsonstage.com Born and brought up in the North East, John has always been interested in theatre and his earliest memories are of attending the Theatre Royal in Newcastle. Now married with two children he enjoys taking his daughters to the theatre whenever possible, and has attended every Royal Variety Performance for the last 22 years! He's began reviewing for Whatsonstage.com several years ago before being asked to edit the North East microsite.
Vicky Ellis - North East editor (Leeds) yorkshire@whatsonstage.com Vicky is a recent English Language and Literature graduate from University of Leeds. Her previous experience includes the role of Arts Editor for Leeds Student, and she’s written fashion articles for Yorkshire lifestyle magazine Excelle. She’s always had an interest in theatre (the lead role of Perseus, slayer of the Minotaur, at the tender age of six clearly made an impression). Performance poetry is also an interest of hers, and she founded and organised Barefoot in the Park: Poetry Festival for three years running (2007-09).
Glenn Meads - North West editor (Manchester) glenn@whatsonstage.com Living in Manchester, Glenn has covered the Manchester theatre scene for Whatsonstage.com since 2001. He also writes gig reviews for the Manchester Evening News and arts for G.T. By day he teaches Media and Film. His favourite playwrights are Arthur Miller, Alan Bennett and Oscar Wilde.
Michael Hunt - North West editor (Liverpool) liverpool@whatsonstage.com Joining the Whatsonstage.com team at the start of 2009, Michael is the correspondent for the Liverpool and Merseyside area. His position has given him the opportunity to interview some of theatre’s and Liverpool’s best known and established playwrights, actors and producers, Bill Kenwright, Alan Bleasdale, Joe McGann, Andrew Schofield, Pauline Daniels, Louis Emerick, Les Dennis, Nicky Allt and Dave Kirby to name but a few. Michael graduated with a BA Hons at Teesside University before gaining further training at the London School of Journalism.
Simon Tavener - Central editor central@whatsonstage.com Simon has been in and around theatres for over 25 years. An active director and reviewer, he occasionally treads the boards as well. His particular passions are Shakespeare and musical theatre.
Anne Morley-Priestman - South East editor eastanglia@whatsonstage.com Anne caught the theatre-going bug initially through visits to Stratford, London and Paris from Jersey after the wartime Occupation. In the 1960s she began reviewing plays for The Stage and over the next 20 years wrote regularly about opera, dance, mime, puppetry, stage design and theatre architecture. She has also edited two antiques magazines and been arts editor for various tourist and lifestyle magazines, lectured on the history of theatre as well as writing for The Daily Telegraph and The Independent.

Specialist Editors

Our newly-established Opera and Dance sections are edited by experts in their fields.

Simon Thomas - Opera editor opera@whatsonstage.com Simon took a BA (Hons) in Theatre Arts at the Rose Bruford College (graduated 1983) and then became an actor before going into theatre management. He has been going to opera, classical concerts and theatre for 35 years. As well as being whatsonstage's opera editor, he writes music and theatre reviews for musicOMH.com.

Sarah Frater - Dance editor dance@whatsonstage.com A long standing dance critic, Sarah has written about ballet and contemporary dance for over a decade. She was the editor of Dance Gazette, the membership magazine of the Royal Academy of Dance and a contributor to The Stage, among others. She currently writes for the Evening Standard, the Wall Street Journal and the Radio Times. She is also working on her first book. Sarah used to be the features editor of Design Week magazine and the books editor of the Twentieth Century Society magazine.