People never ask me if I have any words of advice for young companies... Well, here are a few simple admonitions for young and old:
If the young and old are sending press releases out for the Edinburgh Fringe, anyway.
Never forget to include photographs in a press release. Most magazines are hoping to make a visual splash, so come up with something spectacular. How do you think they decide on the cover star?
Describe your show as quickly as possible. I have many emails and I have bad eyesight. If you are using a tiny font size and telling me little about your production, I might pass over your show, even though it might be that unique blend of physical theatre, burlesque and speedway that I have been waiting my entire life to review.
If you're doing business with a critic, make sure that you know who they are. I suppose that pressing send on a generic email with four hundred names in the Bcc is simple, but think about the poor victims. I have received five of these sine I begun typing this sentence. If there is any hint of personalised content, I am going to read it. Also, I am a thetre writer. If you want me to talk about a stand-up comedy show, try to persuade me by appealing to my interests.
My interests are: dance, international work, physical theatre, visual theatre, puppetry, live art, religion, science-fiction, visual impairments, ASD and ADHD, the classics, feminism.
Whatever else you do, make sure that your press release explains why you decided to make this performance. Why on earth do I want to see your version of Macbeth? I have seen around fifty versions in the past three years. What is your unique selling point?