Theatre/Comedy Writing for LeftLion

01/06/2030

So you want to write for LeftLion Stage...?

This information is for those interested in writing about theatre and comedy for LeftLion.

LeftLion Ethos

We love the city of Nottingham. LeftLion exists to promote and celebrate all the great things about the city whether they be amazing, quirky or mundane. We don’t wear rose-tinted spectacles but we aren’t interested in putting the city down. We write for the benefit of our audience who are mostly aged 16-40, like going out and are interested in music and culture in general.

Getting Involved

You do not have to have previous writing experience. We are looking for people who:

Are enthusiastic about live comedy and/or theatre.
Are positive about the city of Nottingham.
Are able to write well, with good style and grammar.
Will promote the image of LeftLion by being responsible and amiable.

If you want to write about theatre or comedy for LeftLion, contact the Stage Editor, Adrian Bhagat (adrian@leftlion.co.uk). Make sure you mention whether you are interested in writing for theatre or comedy or both. Tell us what type of theatre/comedy acts you enjoy. Training or experience in theatre isn’t required but tell us if you have any relevant skills. If you are able to supply an example of arts-related writing you have done, please send it to us. If not, then write a short piece about something you have seen recently and send us that.

Please note that almost no-one in LeftLion gets paid - we all contribute because we want to promote the city and its culture scene and because we love what we do. If you are interested in writing as a career then we are happy to help you gain experience and develop your skills. If you just want to write for fun, that’s fine too.

Mostly we write reviews of plays/comedy shows which are published on the website but there are also opportunities to get involved with interviewing actors/directors etc and writing feature articles, which may be printed in the magazine. We are able arrange free press tickets for most local venues.

There are also opportunities in LeftLion to write about film, music, literature & poetry, social issues and absolutely anything that happens in Nottingham. Contact the relevant editor for more information.

Advice On Writing Reviews

Firstly you are NOT expected to give everything a good review. LeftLion is here to provide a service to our readers, not to write advertising copy for venues.

We try to be positive about Nottingham and the things that are created here but if a play (whether local or imported) stinks then it's fine to say so. If you are reviewing an amateur/youth production then you have so set your expectations accordingly and make your judgement relative to that.

Be aware that it is easier and more fun to give something a bad review than a good one. Don't give in to temptation or laziness!

When I write a review I think of the people who are going to read it who are wondering whether it's worth them spending time and money to see the play/act and I try to answer that question for them. Whether you love or hate a performance, try to balance your view by considering whether it will appeal to others. Readers are more interested in whether THEY will enjoy something than whether YOU enjoyed it. Don’t make the review about you.

Reviewing Comedy

When reviewing comedians, it is generally bad form to repeat any of the jokes from their routine. Comedians’ jokes are their livelihood and they don’t want them stolen. Nor do your readers want to have the best jokes spoilt for them before they see the act. Instead, you should write about the type of humour and how well it works. You are a bit more free to repeat ad-libs since they probably won’t be repeated.

Reviewing Theatre

You may want to give an overview of the plot, comment on the performance of individual actors, description of the scenery, lighting, sound effects, audience reaction etc. You may also want to give some context, for example mentioning if the play is adapted from a book or film, any particular relevance to Nottingham, or previous work by the same theatre company that may be familiar to your readers.

It’s fine to be critical of the performance of professional actors but in an amateur production it is unfair to single out individuals for criticism. If the cast includes a ‘famous name’ then readers will probably want to know how well they did.