West End Bars Critics From Opening Night

“West End theatre producers are to make radical attempts to fireproof new shows against the critics as they survey the smouldering wreckage of productions closed following bad reviews.” Specifically, the idea is to change the tradition whereby every critic in the city shows up for opening night, and reviews that one performance. “Producers believe the opening night combination of nervous relatives and anxious financial backers can destabilise performances. The experimental move, which has been cautiously welcomed by several critics as well as by theatre owners, is a response to the growing power of the London critics.”