Honouring his nearly 50 years as the Guardian newspaper’s chief theatre critic, a role he stepped down from at the end of last year, the Critics’ Circle renamed the Best New Play Award in honour of former chair Michael Billington. And at this year’s ceremony, he was presented with a theatre poster of five-star “reviews” about his long-running success, written …
Michael Darvell on Michael Billington: ‘He has demonstrated only too well his love of the stage in all its diverse forms’
In addition to the critics’ quotes collected for the theatre poster gifted to the Guardian‘s revered Michael Billington, fellow Critics’ Circle member Michael Darvell submitted this longer contribution. Published in full here with permission. Michael Billington has been a constant personal guide for me to what was good, bad or indifferent in the theatre over a period of fifty years. …
Best New Play Award renamed after outgoing Guardian chief critic Michael Billington
From the 2019 Awards, the prestigious prize for Best New Play will be named after former Critics’ Circle chair Michael Billington, honouring his record-breaking career at the Guardian. Billington announced last month that he would be stepping down as the newspaper’s chief critic, a role he has held since 1971. Commenting on the naming news, Billington said: “I am unbelievably chuffed, …