Theatre and critics need each other

Lyn Gardner has written about the New Critics Day in Cardiff that I rushed back from Venice for in The Guardian Stage Blog today, and also mentions the Wales Arts International Critics Scheme that I am currently taking part in. The Wales-based critics met up again this evening to discuss the future. More thoughts and news on this soon.

Posted byLyn Gardner Monday 3 October 2011 14.06 BSTguardian.co.uk

Why is National Theatre Wales running a scheme to nurture new critical voices? Because theatre cannot flourish without critics – and vice versa.

Theatre criticism does not exist in a vacuum. It offers a response, and therefore needs something worth responding to. Without Osborne and Pinter, Kenneth Tynan would have been just another mid-20th-century critic admiring the French window sets.

But does it also work the other way? I think it must: I'm not convinced that it's possible for a strong theatre culture to thrive in a place or an area of work where there is little or no critical attention. You only have to look at the Cinderella sectors of British theatre to see what happens when there is an almost complete lack of critical focus. This, in any case, was a question under consideration at the stunning new Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff on Saturday in an afternoon called New Critics Day, organised by National Theatre Wales and Literature Wales. It's clearly something that has exercised NTW since its founding, and it's been trying to do something about the state of Welsh criticism through a scheme called New Critics (in which I've participated as a mentor) to help nurture new critical Welsh voices and give them the tools to respond not just to the NTW programme, but also to a broader range of work taking place in Wales. That in turn has spawned another scheme of Young Critics, many still in their teens and early 20s, based around Bridgend. Yet another initiative Wales Arts International has also just begun, aiming to expose critics – and not just theatre critics – to a broad range of work in different countries and cultures."

Read on: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2011/oct/03/theatre-critics-need-each-other

Comments

PHOTO BLOG: Poetry at the Clocktower

We had a lovely day of poetry outside the Poetry Bookshop in Hay today and it stayed mostly dry too! Here’s me telling the audience some things about Bert (Roberto Pastore). Thanks Sian Lile-Pastore for the photo. And the rest of the photos as promised... Imogen Davies, Richard Davies, Niall Griffiths, Nigel Jarrett and Ifor Thomas took the early spots... (thanks to Christina and Ifor for these photos...) Richard (Parthian) & crowd Niall Griffiths reading Niall Imogen Ifor Thomas reads Nigel Jarrett reads Next up we had readings from Christina Thatcher, Abigail Parry and Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch, followed by readings from Ness Owen, Mari Ellis Dunning, Jemma L. King, Tracey Rhys, Patrick Jones, Roberto Pastore and, drawing the short straw to go last, yours truly. Abigail reads Abigail again Roberto Pastore reads Ness Owen reads Everyone loves Bert Tracey Rhys reads Patrick Jones reads Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch A shot of Christina in red in the crowd Stalls at Hay Castle ...

BOOK REVIEW: 'one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Welsh writing in English'

There is a wonderful extended review essay 'Ecological Literacy' by Steven Lovatt in the latest issue of New Welsh Review exploring recent books that seek to restore natural and cultural ecologies and recognise how the cultural nature of our landscapes is preserved in language. It offers an in-depth look at This Common Uncommon by Rae Howells, and here are three of our favourite snippets: "Rae Howells’ new poetry collection, This Common Uncommon , is a fierce and loving affirmation of the local, exemplifying the sort of care-full attention to the interdependence of people, other animals and plants that will be required if anything worthwhile is to be saved from the present ruin." "Howells confirms the evidence of her first collection, The Language of Bees, that she is a highly adept poet, possessing one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Welsh writing in English." "If West Cross Common is developed for housing, nobody can now claim ignoran...

GIG ALERT: Voicebox Wrexham

Celebrate 11 years... (11 YEARS!) of Voicebox with an absolute class creative cabaret of Wrexham's Arts Scene with the infamous Voicebox Open Mic with your host Natasha Borton! This month we have a very special takeover with Parthian Books. Parthian is an independent publisher based in Cardigan, Wales. Since its foundation in 1993, Parthian has published some of the best-known works of contemporary Welsh literature. Parthian's motto is “A Carnival of Voices in Independent Publishing”. Monday 11th November at Rough Hands Tap, Wrexham Entry is £5 (£3 concessions) Doors: 7pm Open Mic 7:30 - 8:30 Susie Wild - 8:45 - 9:15 Patrick Jones - 9:15 - 9:45 Penblwydd Hapus Voicebox Headliners: Susie Wild is author of the poetry collections Windfalls and Better Houses, the short story collection The Art of Contraception listed for the Edge Hill Prize, and the novella Arrivals. Her work has featured in many publications including Poetry Wales, Ink Sweat & Tears and The Atlanta Review and...

Wildlife

Search This Blog