ABSTRACT
Near the end of his book Year of the King, Antony Sher's riveting account of a time spent in 1984 preparing for the role of Richard III with the RSC, the actor turns his attention to opening night, seeing the nervous faces of the audience alongside 'the frosty passivity of the critics'. Sher highlights two things - that critics and artists stand together and yet slightly apart. Second, that were three critics to sit in a pub today they would, in all probability, be writing up their reviews on their laptops, ready to post online an hour or so after the fall of the curtain. So much has changed in the art of reviewing, especially in the last 100 years or so, regarding the profile of the critic and the devices used to communicate the message. The best criticism can explain, challenge or champion obscure art or artists. Good critics are honest and optimistic about what they might find.
