A letter from 15 critics to the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh condemns ‘divisive move’ that saw non-Scottish publications excluded from reviewing the musical’s press night
Theatre critics in Scotland have written to the Royal Lyceum theatre in Edinburgh condemning a “divisive” and “London-centric” decision to not invite reviews from UK national publications for its new musical version of One Day.
The show, based on the 2009 novel by David Nicholls, held a press night on Wednesday but only critics writing for Scottish publications were invited to review it. A separate press night for other critics is planned for a later date, when the show opens in London.
In a letter sent on Friday for the attention of the Lyceum’s board of directors, 15 theatre journalists working in Scotland expressed their concern that the invitation to review the show in Edinburgh “was not extended to all of us”. They labelled it a “divisive move” that raised “uncomfortable questions”. A two-tier invitation “suggests not only that critics in Scotland are less important than critics in London, but also that audiences in Edinburgh are less important than audiences in London,” they write. “Clearly, this is not the case.”
