Theatre industry paper The Stage has this week started the search for the nation's best undiscovered critics.
The competition is open to all adults based in the UK and will see entries short-listed by region with the final winner receiving £1,000 and an opportunity to write for The Stage regularly.
The panel of judges is led by Editor of The Stage newspaper Alistair Smith and is comprised of Mark Shenton, lead critic and Associate Editor, and Natasha Tripney, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres Daniel Evans, actor and playwright Cush Jumbo and Stephanie Street.
Mentors for the final selection stages include the critics Lyn Gardner (The Guardian), Henry Hitchings (London’s Evening Standard) and Andrew Haydon (Postcards from the Gods blog).
Alistair Smith said, “we are thrilled to be launching The Stage Critic Search 2015 enabling us to support theatre criticism at a national and local level in an extension of our policy that theatre matters across the UK. The role of the critic has been much debated of late, and at The Stage we believe wholeheartedly in the importance of excellent theatre criticism.
“Critics do not just to offer opinion and guide audiences to the best work UK theatre has to offer but are also key to identifying and nurturing new talent. Whether in print, online or broadcast, critics are vital to the lifeblood of theatre, and are the meeting point between the industry and the public. I look forward with my colleagues, and with the generous support of our sponsor TheatrePeople.com, to identifying the new critics of tomorrow.”
Submissions will be accepted until 29 May. The winner will be announced late July.
The Stage Critic Search 2015 is run in association with ticket web site TheatrePeople.com.