When I first launched LouReviews it was a place to review shows I had seen but not anything particularly serious. This was 2012, and I’ve been here ever since.
I got caught up in work after that, and despite a few opportunities to review in exchange for a ticket through the ‘London Theatre Bloggers’ – tag #ldntheatrebloggers – the website just did its own thing.
Then, a mental health crisis came to a head, and I parted company with both job and profession by my own decision. I didn’t re-enter the full-time work market.
I re-launched LouReviews in Jan 2019. Still on WordPress, but with an aim to start small and then build up. Something I’ll come back to later.
I’m a one-person operation. I do all my admin, bookings, requests, delivery, and social media. I am the first to admit I am not, and have no aspirations to be, an influencer. I just want to celebrate theatre and give honest reviews.
So, we are nearly at the end of 2025. I had a vague plan in 2019, and some ideas of the way forward. You can read that here if you wish. I even used it to pass on advice to a couple of theatre influencers who are now far more well-known than me!
The points I made back then still stand. I did build my brand. I did watch the finances – and happily now the vast majority of shows I see are from PRs. And, most importantly, I looked after myself and my health.
2020 and 2021 threw in two curveballs I didn’t expect. The pandemic, of course, affected us all, and theatreland. They adapted by going online, and I supported them every step of the way.
Then the following year I was diagnosed with a chronic physical condition which can often be incapicating. It was a blessing I could manage my workload rather than having a day job then going out.
By 2021 the number of theatre reviewers and influencers had grown massively. I won’t lie, seeing some of those newbies heading straight into the big ticket shows rankled a bit after I’d worked just as hard !
It only made me more determined to cover as much of London’s venues as I could, travel permitting. I’d love to reach the point of LouReviews doing a representative ratio of big shows/smaller shows.
I still buy the odd ticket, but since 2021 I don’t review those shows. OK, I make the very odd exception but there has to be a good reason. I don’t believe you can truly represent, understand, or critique shows unless you see or at least stay aware of the depth and breadth of what’s out there.
I tend to request shows I’m interested in from PRs, whether or not I get an invite. If I’m not successful, that’s fine. I’m on most lists. They know me by now. There’s always another theatre, another show. I would like to know why, sometimes. I’m a curious type.
Start small and build up be damned. How naive I was!
It’s not about numbers of followers or longevity, that’s clear. Is it about diversity, or certain ‘types’ of reviewers being sought? Is it – perish the thought, but we need to address it – who you know, or if your face fits?
So, I’m not an influencer. My picture appears on my website and media now and then, and venues where I’m a regular may recognise me. But it isn’t about me. I don’t want it to be. I’m still shy.
I’m just a Gen X cis woman with a love for the content I’ve been consuming since I was a teenager. I don’t use labels to pin down my sexuality but am an ally to all. I feel I have enough knowledge to critique work kindly, honestly, and constructively across theatreland.
I don’t want a show to fail, nor do I want to praise it to the heavens if it is lacking. Yes, I do like certain plays and performers more than others, and that might be evident. But I’m professional enough, I hope, not to gush.
If I approach a PR, or react positively to the news of a show, ai want to engage with it, support it, and give it my best. I am disappointed every year by not getting shows I really could bring some value to and my pockets aren’t endless, so many don’t get covered.
It’s part of the game, and it took me a while to understand that gatekeeping does happen. On the other hand, many shows and venues (and PRs) are lovely, welcoming, receptive and courteous. That’s something anyone new to the game has to understand.
You also have to understand you will get more requests than you can fill. Building a team is one way round this, but I’m been a manager. I don’t relish leading and coordinating a team of people again. If something can’t be covered, or something goes wrong, it’s my responsibility.
As of October 2025 I have been regularly publishing reviews, interviews and news for nearly 7 whole years. I’ve branched out to film, books, and exhibitions. It’s not a blog anymore. It’s an arts website.
I also write for BroadwayWorld UK and NorthWestEnd UK. Neither bring in income but they bring a sense of community.. Musicals Mag did pay, for a brief period. I’m very open to paid freelancing.
I’ve joined the Critics’ Circle so can now tick off a goal to be recognised for the quality and professionalism of my reviewing across all my platforms. I support the Fringe Theatre Awards (and previously, the Offies) so remain ‘a friend of the Fringe’ (Quackpot).
I consult the SOLT First Night Diary just as much as Fringe festival line-ups. I have my favourite cheap seats. I use seat-fillers. I’d recommend you do too as it has to be said that quality seats in the West End at least now come at a considerable premium.
I review internationally, online. I’m keen to keep up with what’s going on outside of the capital. I follow the amateur sector. I love a cabaret (not the Cabaret, I still haven’t seen it!), circus and work for children. I’m fond of dance and ballet. I grew up on operetta and opera, classical music, pop music and spoken word.
I’m not swayed by star names. I’m afraid sometimes I don’t know who they are. And social media and reality TV superstars do absolutely nothing for me. They have to prove their worth like anyone else on a stage. I like to observe and spot those with the talent.
The theatre ecosystem from big to small, multi-million dollars to pure poverty, interests me. I’ve seen superb work and utter junk at either end of the spectrum, and in-between. I like to experiment. Every year I go a bit more out of my comfort zone. I’m always learning about something new.
If PRs and shows want excitement, hyperbole and anything other than long-form, honest, and reflective critique, or a reviewer who makes themselves part of the process, that’s not me or LouReviews. As for social media, I share what grabs me. It’s not necessarily a carefully curated space.
I’ll always give you the time of day, a reply if I can, and careful consideration. And that, to me, is what I’ve personally learned about being a critic, whatever my personal theatre map looks like each year.
We’ll see what 2026 has to bring!
Previous writing reflecting on my critical journey in theatre: 2019 | 2020 | 2023