Manifestos are written by revolutionaries as they wait for the next shipment of bullets. Oh, and by reviewers waiting for the next play. Not that this will be a manifesto. But, then, I’m not a reviewer.
Which in two sentences [sort of] sums up my attitude.
I’m not in the slightest interested in judging plays. I’m interested in responding to them. I intend to write about what plays make me feel and what they make me think. I don’t intend to label them as failures or successes. Other writers can do that. And they will. And I don’t think it’s enough.
I hope to encourage the appreciation of plays as what I believe they are – sharings of our visions of the world. They are not tricks that are done either well or not. Theatre is not Olympic diving.
Of course, theatre can be done horribly. But I’m not going to write about that. It’s tempting to be all Oscar Wilde for a moment and say that task can be left in far less capable hands than mine. But, it’s actually just a choice.
Theatre is not space flight. When you get it wrong, no-one dies. We just don’t get to visit new worlds. [So I suppose it is like space flight.]
Veronica Kaye
Theatre Red
Theatre Red 
Hi Veronica – really like your manifesto/philosophy and completely agree. There is nothing gained from tearing down or plumping up the work of others. Thank you 🙂