Critics, Don’t Give Notes You Were Never Asked For

by Chris Peterson

Every so often I’ll read a review that crosses a line. It stops being about the audience’s experience and starts sounding like a list of rehearsal notes. “The second act would work better if they cut this subplot.” “The lead might consider playing the role with more nuance.” These aren’t observations. They’re edits. And they don’t belong in a review.

What set me off was a review I read of a community theatre production in Australia. The critic wasn’t just offering thoughts on the show. They were giving staging notes - recommending how to use the stage, sound design, etc. To make it worse, the review was posted anonymously. No name. No accountability. And on top of that, it was completely unsolicited. No one asked for their opinion. No one invited them. The theatre didn’t send out press comps or request coverage. The critic just showed up, watched the show, and decided to tell the creative team how to restage it. That’s not criticism. That’s ego.

Let’s be honest about what a critic’s role actually is. You’re not part of the creative team. You weren’t there for the casting process or the design meetings. You didn’t sit through long rehearsals or watch the tech run fall apart two nights before opening. You saw one performance. That gives you the right to respond to what you saw. It does not give you the right to rewrite it.

There’s a big difference between critique and correction. If a moment didn’t land, say that. If a character arc felt unclear, that’s fair. But when you start suggesting how the team should’ve done things differently, you’re overstepping. That’s not your job. That’s not your place.

Ethical critics understand this. They know that reviewing a show is not the same thing as directing one. They write with respect for the process and for the people who did the work. They don’t hand out notes. They describe what they experienced and how it resonated. That’s all. And that’s enough.

I understand that some critics are also artists. I know that impulse to imagine what you would’ve done if you were in charge. But you weren’t. The most thoughtful reviews focus on what happened on stage and how it connected with the audience. That takes restraint. That takes real skill.

So if you’re reviewing a show and you feel the urge to offer a new ending or a different interpretation or a blocking adjustment, don’t. This isn’t your production. You’re not in the rehearsal room. You’re in the audience. Stay there.