The Stage

Theatre critics accused of slating female directors

Published Monday 14 May 2007 at 13:25 by Nuala Calvi

Female theatre directors receive misogynistic reviews from male theatre critics in the national press, according to Nicholas Hytner.

The artistic director of the National Theatre claims many of the UK’s daily newspaper critics are “dead white men” who are unable to see past a director’s gender when reviewing a play.

He told The Times: “I know that [director] Katie Mitchell gets misogynistic reviews, where everything they say is predicated on her sex.

“Gay males have never had a problem in the theatre. The ones who have it worst are the gay women. They really get it in the neck and there’s a lot of sniggering.”

The comments follow mixed reviews for Emma Rice’s adaptation of A Matter of Life and Death at the NT.

Theatre critics called the accusations offensive. The Guardian’s Michael Billington said: “The idea that critics review productions on the basis of gender and sexual orientation is absolute nonsense.”