Critical

As the Fringe continues and more issues of The Shimmy go to press, the nature of criticism and its relationships with performers and potential audience members becomes an ever more relevant topic for debate. Gone are the days when the critic was seen as an elite arbiter of taste who could influence the masses with a star rating. Instead, we have entered an age in which platforms are available for multiple viewpoints to be aired and discussed.

This postmodern shift to pluralism, encouraging a fairer balance in the significance given to each individual’s opinion, must be embraced. With the idea of universal truth and authority destabilised, it is surely a positive development in terms of audience/critic/performer relationships. In fact, each of these is dependent on the others for survival and they ought to exist in a relationship of trust. Here at The Shimmy, we strive to build dialogue with performers and spark conversation amongst our readership. Without trust, none of this would be possible.

The 21st century has seen the rise of the internet, social networking and blogging. Sites such as Twitter and Facebook have created new opportunities for marketing and promoted public expression. This has been exploited in the theatre realm to create hype and excitement for the arts. In turn, a democratic “wisdom of the community,” as Patrick Goldstein called it in the Los Angeles Times, has been established in which comments spread virally between enthusiasts. At last year’s Fringe, this internet-age word of mouth reached new levels with the introduction of the EdTwinge site compiling Fringe-related tweets, the 140-character posts made by Twitter users, into rank tables based on karma ratings. In this way, immediate audience response can be gauged and interaction can take place between interested parties.

With this move to consumer empowerment one may predict the demise of the critic. This, however, is premature as the critic still plays an important role in cultural mediation. Criticism is an inherently subjective art form and one of the major benefits of the published critic is that the readership can form a trust relationship with the writer or publication. By becoming acquainted with the style and tastes of a critic, the reader can be discerning of the opinions offered and utilise them in accordance with his or her own views. Through this, criticism becomes more valuable as informed opinion takes on personal significance.

In this issue, we present the results of our interview with Daghdha Dance Company and a host of reviews from shows at Dance Base. Take a look through The Shimmy and engage in the critical revolution. Don’t take our ratings for granted. Go and see dance! Talk about dance! Become involved in the debate. Remember that the Fringe is about the good, the bad and the ugly. Put your critical hat on and enjoy the highs and lows of Edinburgh in August.

Remember...criticism is not yet dead; it is merely evolving to survive in its changing environment and you are a crucial part of that.