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The perils of the five-star review The perils of the five-star review
(about 1 hour later)
A young friend went to The Book of Mormon the other week, a show she had been looking forward to seeing for months. But she said that the first 20 minutes or so were marred by the possibility that the show couldn’t possibility live up to her expectations. She was preparing herself for disappointment even as she watched it. Another friend bought tickets to see Wolf Hall a few months back. Yes, she had enjoyed it. Quite. But not nearly as much as she’d expected. The price of the tickets, the commitment to giving up an entire afternoon and evening, and the glowing reviews had all piled on the anticipation to such an extent that this was going to have to be a really astonishing piece of theatre for it to really deliver.A young friend went to The Book of Mormon the other week, a show she had been looking forward to seeing for months. But she said that the first 20 minutes or so were marred by the possibility that the show couldn’t possibility live up to her expectations. She was preparing herself for disappointment even as she watched it. Another friend bought tickets to see Wolf Hall a few months back. Yes, she had enjoyed it. Quite. But not nearly as much as she’d expected. The price of the tickets, the commitment to giving up an entire afternoon and evening, and the glowing reviews had all piled on the anticipation to such an extent that this was going to have to be a really astonishing piece of theatre for it to really deliver.
Looking forward to a party or a holiday is often as much part of the pleasure as the event itself. But the best social events are those that occur spontaneously – those moments when you unexpectedly run into a friend and decide to have lunch, or family happen to be passing and you knock something up from what’s in the fridge. These occasions are often far more enjoyable than those carefully planned birthday celebrations or family gatherings that come with such a weight of expectation that they disappoint if they are not perfect.Looking forward to a party or a holiday is often as much part of the pleasure as the event itself. But the best social events are those that occur spontaneously – those moments when you unexpectedly run into a friend and decide to have lunch, or family happen to be passing and you knock something up from what’s in the fridge. These occasions are often far more enjoyable than those carefully planned birthday celebrations or family gatherings that come with such a weight of expectation that they disappoint if they are not perfect.
I sometimes wonder if something similar happens in theatre. Shows you stumble across with very little expectation often turn out to be the most thrilling. One of the reasons I love the Edinburgh fringe is the possibility of being astonished by a performance by an unknown company, such as 1927’s Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea , or Barrel Organ’s Nothing – shows about which I knew pretty well nothing when I stepped inside the venue. Nothing plays at Camden People’s theatre this week, where inevitably audiences are likely to come with a great deal more pre-existing knowledge about the show than Edinburgh audiences had. I know several people who have bought tickets on the strength of the Edinburgh buzz. Will they be disappointed? I hope not, because it’s a terrific piece of work that really captures what it feels like to be young in 21st-century Britain. But there is clearly more expectation around the show and this young company than there was previously when they were a sleeper show in Edinburgh.I sometimes wonder if something similar happens in theatre. Shows you stumble across with very little expectation often turn out to be the most thrilling. One of the reasons I love the Edinburgh fringe is the possibility of being astonished by a performance by an unknown company, such as 1927’s Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea , or Barrel Organ’s Nothing – shows about which I knew pretty well nothing when I stepped inside the venue. Nothing plays at Camden People’s theatre this week, where inevitably audiences are likely to come with a great deal more pre-existing knowledge about the show than Edinburgh audiences had. I know several people who have bought tickets on the strength of the Edinburgh buzz. Will they be disappointed? I hope not, because it’s a terrific piece of work that really captures what it feels like to be young in 21st-century Britain. But there is clearly more expectation around the show and this young company than there was previously when they were a sleeper show in Edinburgh.
Star ratings – particularly five-star reviews – up the ante, too, and pile on the expectations. I give five stars very sparingly, but a few weeks ago I wrote a five-star review for Florian Zeller’s The Father, a brilliantly structured and heart-breaking look at dementia, which was at the Ustinov in Bath. I was not alone. Most unusually, I found myself in accord with Quentin Letts, as well as a more regular fellow traveller such as Susannah Clapp. It’s a good bet that the show will wind up in London, where the weight of expectation with all those five-star reviews will be considerable – not just on the production but also on the expectations of the audience.Star ratings – particularly five-star reviews – up the ante, too, and pile on the expectations. I give five stars very sparingly, but a few weeks ago I wrote a five-star review for Florian Zeller’s The Father, a brilliantly structured and heart-breaking look at dementia, which was at the Ustinov in Bath. I was not alone. Most unusually, I found myself in accord with Quentin Letts, as well as a more regular fellow traveller such as Susannah Clapp. It’s a good bet that the show will wind up in London, where the weight of expectation with all those five-star reviews will be considerable – not just on the production but also on the expectations of the audience.
So the questions I want to ask, and I really genuinely want to know the answer, are: does the five-star review ever feel as much of a burden as a bonus for a company; and as a theatregoer, does the expectation created by word-of-mouth buzz and five-star reviews inevitably lead to disappointment?So the questions I want to ask, and I really genuinely want to know the answer, are: does the five-star review ever feel as much of a burden as a bonus for a company; and as a theatregoer, does the expectation created by word-of-mouth buzz and five-star reviews inevitably lead to disappointment?
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