In the face of the coronavirus crisis, most London and UK theatres have closed their doors until further notice. Our theatre-loving Mates are still blogging during lockdown, if not quite as frequently. As the rest of the industry that we love, we’ll be back soon.
MyTheatreMates is a portal for independent theatre bloggers, run by Terri Paddock. We currently have over 45 bloggers whose sites and content are regularly featured and hundreds more guest bloggers. We love meeting new mates! Are you a champion of theatre? Do you regularly blog and tweet about it? Why not join us?
Terri Paddock co-founded MyTheatreMates in 2015 with the help of leading theatre critic and industry commentator Mark Shenton, a mate for life! Find out more about the ethos behind the site. And join our mailing list.
Recent articles
‘This is a defiantly feminist reading of the text’: JANE EYRE – National Theatre (Online review)
10th April 2020 On YouTube until 16 April 2020 The problem with staging a classic novel is that everyone has a slightly different view of how it should be done – many have tried and few have fully succeeded. The benchmark for… .. Read more
NEWS: Samantha Barks & Stephanie McKeon star in Frozen’s West End premiere
10th April 2020Today, on National Siblings Day, Disney Theatrical Productions announce that Samantha Barks and Stephanie McKeon will play Elsa and Anna in Frozen when it reopens the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane later this year. The production opens on 11… .. Read more
NEWS: Curtains, starring Jason Manford, streams online to raise Funds for Freelancers
10th April 2020The UK producers of Kander and Ebb’s Tony Award-winning musical CURTAINS are delighted to announce a live stream on Tuesday 14 April at 7.15pm with all profits going to Funds For Freelancers. In response to the current situation, Paul Taylor-Mills (Artistic… .. Read more
Locking down & taking a break from theatre blogging
10th April 2020Until four years ago I wrote three columns a week for The Stage – one in print and two online. My theatre blog is the direct descendant. I started it when The Stage columns ended in June 2016. Every columnist writing… .. Read more
NEWS: Jermyn Street Theatre flooded during lockdown, crowdfunding campaign extended
9th April 2020Just after reaching its initial £10,000 target in a public fundraising campaign set up in response to the financial threat posed by the coronavirus crisis, Jermyn Street Theatre was severely flooded last night (Wednesday 8 April 2020). A pipe burst in… .. Read more
NEWS: The RSC extends closure to 30 June, Swan Theatre remains shut all summer due to financial impact
9th April 2020As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has announced that all performances, events and activities will be cancelled up to and including Tuesday 30 June 2020. This date will be under constant review following government, Public Health… .. Read more
10 wish-list productions for future National Theatre At Home screenings
9th April 2020Following on from the instant success of the first National Theatre At Home streaming event - Richard Bean's One Man, Two Guvnors starring James Corden - it’s got me thinking about all the other wonderful NT Live screenings that I’d love… .. Read more
‘The NHS doesn’t just treat illness. It fights fear’: CHECK-UP (Online review)
9th April 2020“It doesn’t matter who you are. As soon as you walk in through the doors, they hit you with the best they’ve got” This show by political comedian Mark Thomas takes a long, hard look at our National Health Service… .. Read more
‘A superb choice to lift a nation’s spirits’: ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS – National Theatre (Online review)
8th April 2020The National Theatre has been at the vanguard of community outreach for a long time, and while some of its scheduling choices have come under fire in recent years and its London-centric approach criticised – and any national institution should… .. Read more
NEWS: 9 to 5 announces end of West End run as theatres extend closure period
8th April 2020Following Thriller and Waitress, 9 to 5 The Musical is the latest West End show to announce that it will not return once theatres do eventually reopen. Opened at the Savoy Theatre in January 2019, originally for a limited run… .. Read more