In June 2011, Lyn Gardner and I co-hosted a discussion through Improbable’s ‘Devoted and Disgruntled Satellites’ with the question: “What are we going to do about theatre criticism?” During this D&D session, I put forward an idea of my own that I wanted to explore: “Beyond the words?”. It was an attempt for me to understand and explore how a theatre critic can do more than just watch theatre and review. How could a critic really begin to go beyond just their words, and interrogate the process, the making of work, and could they ultimately help to shape the work at its source: in the rehearsal room.

The session threw lots of questions and ideas around, and for many, it came down to what the role of the critic is, why they should do more, and who would be willing to do or host such a thing. The discussion moved through how a critic could be placed in rehearsal rooms, act as campaigners for work, or help support work through funding applications. In short, there was no real answer; theatre critics are by and large not given the time, opportunity or column space to develop relationships further with makers. Further, could this potentially dilute what a critic is? Nonetheless, the question of how a critic could do more than just write reviews stayed with me, and I have been looking for ways in which I could explore it.

I have, after some time, been given the opportunity to do just this. After meeting with Oval House Theatre’s Co-Director Rebecca Atkinson-Lord, questions and excitement came bubbling up in our discussions on how A Younger Theatre, or I as an individual, could be involved in its forthcoming First Bites… If Only season. I wanted to be placed within the rehearsal room for a period of time to explore a company’s method of creating work. I wanted to discover for myself, and to document online, how the very fibers of creating theatre were woven together. Now, it would be wise to point out that I did ‘train’ at drama school, and have previously devised performance work myself, but have since sat back and been a critic for a year or more.

After writing a lengthy proposal, which was approved, I have been partnered with theatre company Dirty Market Theatre, which has kindly allowed me to observe its rehearsals before and during its two-week slot at Oval House.

So now is my time to begin to explore the idea of a critic sitting in the rehearsal room and documenting the work for an online audience during the process. This will be presented through Digital Dirty Market, an online space where I aim to present my findings, be they scribbled notes, photos, videos or just observations. I hope that this body of work will build throughout the next month, and will offer those who choose to explore it a certain understanding of how Dirty Market creates theatre. It is no easy task for the company or me to build this relationship and to experiment; it is trial and error but I hope it will prove to be interesting all the same.

Digital Dirty Market is very much a starting point for discussions. It will become a space, I hope, that seeks to break out of the traditional forms of online marketing – because ultimately this is not my purpose – and begin to open out the rehearsal process of a company. I wish to really understand, to gauge as an outside eye, what it takes, what it means to be theatre makers. I hope that through these observations I can challenge and question the making of a piece of work. I hope to move away from just writing reviews, as an often disengaged as a theatre critic, and move into the interactivity of theatre making, to bridge the gap between audience and work. I shall be critical but observant.

If anything, Dirty Market Theatre, Oval House and I are taking a leap into the unknown, and I hope that you will join me too. I’ll be posting a weekly update through A Younger Theatre, but the main body of work can be explored through Digital Dirty Market.