My typical working day starts at 9am, usually with the show I saw the night before still buzzing in my head. Writing the review can take anything from an hour to two, depending on how complex the production is and how strongly I feel about it.
It’s not just a matter of getting words on the page: there’s spelling and grammar to check, images to upload, tags to add, and SEO to consider. Once it’s ready, the review goes to the PR team and then out into the world via social media.
By 11am, it’s time to face the inbox. On a quiet day there might be 40 emails; on a busy one, closer to 60. I chase outstanding requests, skim new messages, and decide which can be deleted, which need an immediate response, and which get starred for later.
Anything happening in the next six weeks needs confirming, before diaries fill up and opportunities vanish. As a solo reviewer with competing shows to consider, naturally the ones that really interest me have precedence.
Lunch arrives around 1pm, along with a brief mental switch-off. This usually means something comfortingly undemanding on television: Father Brown or Grantchester are reliable companions.
The early afternoon is for reading rather than writing. I catch up with other reviewers’ work and social posts, log time on Letterboxd, and check my own stats.
There’s also a glance at my Muck Rack account, a quiet reminder that this work exists in a wider professional ecosystem.
At 3pm, I look ahead. Upcoming shows and interviews are mapped out using Google Calendar and spreadsheets. Early in the week, I’ll check the SOLT First Night Diary and the Broadway World reviewers list. If I’ve done a phone interview, this is also when transcription happens: a slow but necessary task.
At 4pm, I nap. Non-negotiable.
Dinner comes at 5pm, alongside outreach. I send pitches for interviews and reviews and wait for replies that range from encouraging to frustrating.
One PR happily books me in for April. Another explains there will be no seats available from their “very small” allocation. One doesn’t reply at all.
By 6pm, I’m preparing for the evening’s show and the tube journey. If there’s no live theatre, I’ll review digital content or a film, or catch up on Dragons’ Den, archive television plays, and my favourite YouTubers. It’s also a good window for working on video content.
At 8pm, there’s one last email check if I’m at home, or networking with other reviewers if I’m out. On the tube back, I’ll read up on upcoming projects.
By 10pm, I jot down quick notes on the show I’ve just seen, ready to be expanded in the morning, and reply to any late emails. At 11pm, it’s bed — usually with a book I’ll soon be reviewing. I much prefer hard copies to PDFs, but I’ll work with either if the project’s worth it.
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Image adapted from Freepix.