Welcome to the next in a series celebrating female colleagues who engage with theatre as critics, reviewers, bloggers or content creators. I am using ‘theatre’ to encompass all live arts performances, and ‘reviewer’ to cover all those who add commentary on what they see.
The master list is at: https://loureviews.blog/spotlight-on-female-theatre-reviewers-bloggers-critics-and-content-creators/
If you would like to be profiled as part of this project, please get in touch.
Today, it’s the turn of Fiona Gilbert, a reviewer at LondonTheatre1.com.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be writing or creating content about theatre?
I’m a Londoner, and my love affair with the theatre began many years ago when I was a teenager seeing productions across London. I was lucky to have it all at my fingertips! I have particularly fond memories of the old Shaw Theatre and Riverside Studios and shows such as Chicken Soup with Barley and Taming of the Shrew.
Starting work at age 17 meant I could finance more theatre-going, and studying for an English degree some years later just cemented my love of the arts, literature and theatre. It’s been going strong ever since! I have always enjoyed reading reviews – sometimes before a show and sometimes after to see if my thoughts lined up with what others were saying.
When a friend suggested I should write my own reviews, it was a bit daunting, but it seemed like a natural extension of my interests.
If you have your own platform, when did it start and how did you come up with the name? If you write for one or many platforms, which was the first and how did you become involved with it?
One of my friends is also a theatre aficionado and am-dram actor. We see a lot of plays together and often critique what we have seen. He started writing online reviews and asked me if I’d be interested too.
I gave it a go and found I absolutely loved it. I now write for the websites LondonTheatre1 and occasionally Mark Aspen.
What kind of shows do you cover, and in which geographical areas?
I cover Fringe, off-West End, and occasionally West End shows. I have mostly reviewed theatre and dance, and increasingly opera as well – I have been very impressed by the fringe opera scene, which I hadn’t experienced much in recent years until I started reviewing.
I tend to concentrate on North East and central London during the week for proximity to home, but will travel further afield if time permits. Combining theatre reviewing with a full-time job means I must plan carefully, but I try to select a wide variety of shows to keep me on my toes and fresh.
How would you describe yourself (reviewer, critic, content creator, YouTuber, influencer, other)?
I consider myself to be a reviewer. I try to cover a range of theatres and productions that appeal to me either by content, director, theatre company or performer. Then I give my honest opinion and some facts to help people like me decide what to see in the huge expanse of options that are out there.
Why do you continue to engage with theatre?
For me, the thrill of a really powerful live performance has never lost that spark. I am continually entertained, often challenged, and usually rewarded by spending time in the arts. Not everything I see is going to be great, but when something really works, it is joyful.
What’s the one thing that would make the theatre reviewing/content creating space easier for you personally, and/or for your platform?
The variety and quality are out there, but the logistics can be challenging – my diary is usually booked up months ahead, so I need a lot of advance notice for a review.
It’s a shame that I cannot do more, but when I started reviewing, it increased my theatre-going by 50%, as I am still seeing a lot of shows that I don’t review.
Being able to take a plus one to shows is also helpful. Including my husband or friends in my evening commitments is not just more sociable, but it sparks debate on the way home, which can enrich the review with new perspectives.
Do you have a favourite show – and any you particularly dislike(d)?
I have been lucky to see so many excellent shows over the years. The ones that really stick in my mind are the Merchant of Venice in 1989 with Dustin Hoffman in spellbinding form as Shylock; the powerful 1990 National Theatre production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible; Toneelgroep Amsterdam (now known as International Theater Amsterdam)’s breathtaking triple header – the Roman Tragedies in 2017, and Gatz, an eight hour verbatim adaptation of the Great Gatsby performed on the London stage in 2012.
Conversely, I was very disappointed by the Jamie Lloyd production of The Tempest in 2025. It was a surprise as I loved his other recent productions, Sunset Boulevard and Much Ado about Nothing, which were very similar in style and tone.
The theatre commentary space is wide and diverse – is there any other female reviewer/content creator you would recommend, and why?
I am meeting more reviewers over the course of time, and they seem more diverse in age and background than ever. I think this is good for the industry and for readers who will be able to find someone who shares their perspective.
What’s the biggest change you have noticed in the theatre space since you started contributing to it?
The increasing opportunities for women. I saw twenty-two Shakespeare plays last year, and not one of them didn’t have at least one female actor playing a role that would traditionally have been played by a man. Some may criticise this gender swapping, but it removes barriers and opens up theatre for more actors.
And which social networks are you most active on? If you are not on any, what is your opinion of their place in theatre reviewing/content creation?
I think the social media space for theatre reviews is still evolving, and we will probably see more ‘influencer’ style video content in future rather than the traditional written word. I am a longstanding and regular user of LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, but
not necessarily to promote my reviewing.
Recently, I have been thinking about how I could do more to use these platforms to highlight the huge and diverse amount of talent and excellent material available in London’s theatre world.
Can you pinpoint one of your best reviews, features, or videos?
My favourite review is for the one-woman show Saria Callas, which I saw at the Camden People’s Theatre in 2025, when the actress reached out to contact me afterwards. There was a realisation then that what we write does have an impact, and whilst being honest, we also need to be kind.
How can people contact you who want to promote a show?
Finding the time might be a challenge but I would be very happy to review for others and can be contacted via DM.