How do you write a play review?

Answer 1

In simple terms, you describe what you are reviewing, and make judgements about it.

The first part is easy. If it is a performance you are reviewing, you say what the name of the play is, what company is producing it, who the main actors are, and what theatre it is running at. If it is an unproduced play (a play script), you talk about the author, and when it was written, and who publishes it.

Now comes the hard part. It is not enough to say, "I didn't like the play", or "The play was awful" which is a more arrogant way of saying the same thing. Even being more specific, by saying "the sets were no good" is not enough. You need to explain why you have made that judgement, and say something like, "The sets, designed by Euripides Peasegood, suggested a Victorian drawing room in which the playwright's jungle imagery was startlingly inappropriate." Now the reader knows why you thought the sets were no good.

But as a reviewer you should not focus on negatives. Usually there are some aspects of the performance that pleased or intrigued you. Talk about the these things first. Say why they might be interesting to a viewer. Then after you have discussed these, warn the reader about things which you think might not be so pleasant. The reader will be able to make up his or her mind whether to give it a try, depending on whether they care about the sets that much.

You can finish off with your general conclusion.

Here's a fictitious sample:

Lightheart's Tomtom by Claire Lupton is being presented by the Aerial Castle Theatre Co. at the Lyceum Theatre this week, with Joanna Smallwood and Erytha Morris in the lead roles. Ms. Smallwood's performance is particularly interesting as we do not often see male impersonators on the stage, and she has captured the swagger, the heartiness and the desperate insecurity of Alexander, a young man in his twenties. Ms. Morris, while less spectacular, provides strong support as the generous and gentle Paula. Unfortunately the sets, designed by Euripides Peasegood, suggest a Victorian drawing room in which the playwright's jungle imagery is startlingly inappropriate. It's well worth the price of admission if you can keep your eyes off the set.