Is this your local theatre?

We’re looking for someone who knows about professional theatre across the genres and can write for Whatsonstage.com’s discerning audience with authority – but without too much own-trumpet blowing or over-erudite showing-off. Playgoers in these cash-strapped times want to know whether or not to spend money on a ticket for this particular staging, not how much better (or worse) Gielgud, Olivier, Ashcroft, Fonteyn or Callas were in their several productions.

It would be lovely to say that we’ll pay you for your skills. We can’t. You don’t, of course, pay for your tickets (usually a pair) and may well be invited to pre-show or interval receptions. You do see your work on the website, with your by-line, and there may be the opportunity to expand your theatrical writing portfolio through contributing news stories or conducting interviews for the website.

Write to me at southeast@whatsonstage.com with an outline of why you’re interested in becoming our Guildford area critic. If there are other theatres in Surrey and Kent which it is also possible for you to cover, it would be very helpful if you could mention these. We would initially arrange for Press tickets, and the production pictures in Jpeg format which we will require, directly with the theatre or production company’s Press department for you.

We do require copy to be submitted within 24 hours of the official Press night (full editorial guidelines will be provided) and the size of the South-East England & East Anglia region – with productions touring to a number of different theatres within it – means that we need to know promptly if you are able, or unable, to cover an allocated show.