West End performer Hannah Lowther, now appearing in Six, recently posted a thread on X expressing her anxieties over (illegally recorded) clips from her performances being listened to and scrutinised by thousands online. These sentiments were echoed by other performers i.e. Carrie Hope Fletcher and Evelyn Hoskins, as they understand the feeling that every movement is going to be critiqued in detail. That has been brewing for some time now – at least since post-COVID, and I feel it’s time to have a proper discussion about it.
While I love certain shows, I tend to distance myself from joining theatre fandoms and this topic is partly why. Recently I’ve seen this phenomena of fans posting clips of performers on social media (the best place for nuanced debates), picking their performance apart or comparing them to previous actors in the case of cast changes, and becoming defensive if anyone disagrees with their opinion that [insert performer] is the absolute best take on a role.
This isn’t to disparage or generalise theatre fandoms or say it’s wrong to have preferences for actors because it’s great seeing people find a community and real friendships with others who share the same love for the arts/performers that feel grossly underrepresented in the mainstream. I certainly have in my journey as a blogger and their support has been a huge reason why so many recent shows have seen success in spite of middling critical reception i.e. Heathers, Bonnie and Clyde and Beetlejuice. Many shows have even leaned into their fandoms for the marketing and created special events just for them. This isn’t to say there aren’t some bad apples.
Every single fandom whether it’s TV, film, gaming and yes, theatre, has that small group of entitled/toxic fans who bully others as ‘fake fans (a concept I don’t believe exists)’ if they haven’t seen a show a certain number of times or a certain performer. The unfortunate side effect is when those tiny group’s voices are louder, they can create the perception that’s how every fan behaves. As any psychologist will tell you, even if you receive thousands of positive comments, you’re most likely focusing on the few negative ones.
As a teen I used to watch compilation videos of performers singing/delivering a certain line and form my entire opinion of their performance based on that five-second clip (with questionable video/audio quality may I add). Fairly obvious, but that line of thinking was toxic and detrimental in my journey into theatre criticism as I realised if I said any of what I wrote about them to their faces, it would be extremely hurtful. Seeing this kind of mindset continue, if not grow with how fast-paced social media has become where everyone is suddenly a vocal/acting coach, makes me more concerned for performers and how these kinds of videos/clips being circulated can impact them mentally.
We like to think of performers as these idols who don’t see what fans write, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Social media is more complicated than just a toxic cesspit most media portrays it as because it gives performers the accessibility to interact with fans. With how easy it is to become anonymous when writing behind a screen, I feel it means we all should carry bigger responsibility with what we say as the last thing performers should be feeling is anxious over a five-second clip affecting how their performance for an entire run is perceived by millions who’ve never watched them live or don’t have the wider context of their vocal/acting choices.
I think a lot also needs to be said about the ethicality of recording and posting audio/clips of performers when it’s technically illegal. While we can entirely blame it on the people posting them, we are just as much at fault for consuming them which will only encourage more of it. I know slime tutorials have been many people’s way to access a show or listen to a specific performer when they can’t afford to see it or live too far away, but it leads to the question of whether more needs to be done. Is this a reason we’re seeing more proshots? Most likely.
The above may all sound ironic coming from a blogger who has to critique performers for reviews based on a single performance, but what I must reiterate is any criticism I have will be constructive, never disparaging, and I also consider other factors such as writing and direction because bringing a character to life onstage is a collaborative effort. That’s different to micro-analysing every single utterance and move or saying ‘[this performer] did it better” like I’ve witnessed during intervals.
I guess what I’m trying to say is try to follow the message of the show Hannah Lowther is currently in when discussing performers online – don’t compare people and celebrate each other’s individuality. Oh, and only get your phones out when they want you to film this.
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