Michael Billington has been drama critic of The Guardian since 1971 and of Country Life since 1986. He has also written on film and television and is the author of several books, including biographies of Harold Pinter and Peggy Ashcroft and a prize-winning study of post-war British theatre, State of the Nation. He is currently working on a book on The 101 Greatest Plays for Faber. He broadcasts frequently on the arts and for many years has taught a course on theatre to University of Pennsylvania students at King's College, London.
I've been a theatre critic for most of my working life but I'm reluctant to lay down rules. Every review should be an expression of the writer's personality. A new play demands a different approach from a sta...
