"You need to be out there seeing as much theatre as you possibly can"

Hometown
London

What do you do?
Theatre critic for The Guardian

How long have you been at it?
Twelve years full-time. I started three years earlier as a freelance.

What was your very first role in theatre?
I was briefly a director for my own theatre company, before becoming a reviewer for City Limits, a London listings magazine which ran between 1981 and 1993.

What next?
At City Limits, I started as a reviewer then became theatre editor.
I freelanced as a reviewer for a while before starting at The Guardian.

Have you got qualifications?
A drama degree from University of Kent

Ever had any other jobs?
I had a little stint selling advertising space, which I was rubbish at

How did you make the move to working in theatre?
With a lot of luck. I loved theatre as a child, and at university I did some reviews for the campus radio and student newspaper. I started at City Limits when it launched.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always knew I wanted to be something in theatre, but I thought I was going to be a director.

What do you do all day?
My job involves going to the theatre five or six nights a week, all over the country and sometimes abroad. I also write features about upcoming shows.

What’s the best thing about your job?
The moment of excitement when I have seen a flash of real talent and potential.

And the worst?
It’s quite a lonely job for two reasons. I spend a lot of time travelling alone and I can’t be friends with artists.

What’s your dream job in theatre?
I’m doing it

Got any wise words for someone who wants to be where you are now?
You need to be out there seeing as much theatre as you possibly can. It’s never too soon to start reviewing because you get better the more you do.

Read reviews and articles by Lyn Gardner and theatre reviews

And for more info becoming a critic see Critics’ Circle and Theatre Critic’s Association