Why we’ve moved our star ratings

Countless words have been spilled over the pros and cons of star ratings – and, since there are valid arguments on both sides, they seem to be a relatively firm fixture for the time being, so we’ve got little desire to remove them – or scrap anything below a three stars, as some publications have done. 

However, we do think that the placement of star ratings has always been a bit iffy. Delving into our user data, it was painful to see a not insignificant portion of readers would simply click on a write-up, scan for a few seconds and then click away – clearly checking the star rating and nothing more.

As pointed out in one of the latest instalments of Sarah Crompton and Nancy Carroll’s brilliant theatre-oriented podcast As the Actress Said to the Critic, (well worth subscribing now), what matters most are the words – the opinions on the page. Crompton has discussed how she is adjusting the introduction she writes – signposting her opinions from earlier on to give the review more of a tonal distinction. 

Two three-star reviews may show the same number of sparkly images, but the tone, content and opinions can vary substantially. Stars shouldn’t, as Carroll mentions, function as a headline – the minutiae of the words means a whole lot more.

Moving star ratings below the copy, as she continues, will highlight the personal nature of the write-up – these opinions aren’t part of an entrenched verdict, but have variety and unique flavour. 

So we’ve moved the stars down to the bottom – and encourage readers to treat them not as a top-line verdict, but as summative final reflection of what’s been written above. The heart of theatre criticism lies in nuance.