Our Reviewers

  • head and shoulders photo of Rod wearing thick rimmed spectacles, a dark blue blazer, a light blue checked shirt and a black and white checked dickie bow.

    Rod Dungate

    Co-Founder and Editor.

    Rod has more than 60 years experience in theatre related work. Experience includes acting, directing and as a playwright and poet. He has been reviewing regularly since 1986. He regularly supervises MA post graduate students at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

    Further information about Rod, can be found on www.RodDungate.uk

    X Platform: @Rod_Dungate

  • head and shoulder photo of Bill wearing spectacles, a dark blue zipper jumper and a white collar shirt

    William Russell

    Deputy Editor (Reviews)

    William Russell is a former Political Correspondent of the Herald in Glasgow. He was its London Editor after leaving Westminster, its film critic for some 20 years and regularly reviewed London theatres for the paper. He is a former Hon Gen Secretary of the Critics' Circle and has been reviewing theatres for Reviewsgate for the past decade.

    X Platform: @pursuivant

  • head and shoulders photo of Dan wearing a white t-shirt

    Dan Auluk

    Deputy Editor (Technical)

    Dan is an artist, writer and filmmaker living and working in Birmingham, UK. He occasionally reviews for Reviewsgate but primarily manages the Reviewsgate website.

    www.danauluk.com

  • Clare Colvin

    Reviwer

    Clare Colvin is a keen enthusiast for the Arts generally and Opera especially. She wrote a weekly opera column for the Sunday Express for fifteen years up to 2020, and in the last two years has joined ReviewsGate to contribute opera reviews.

    Apart from a varied career in arts journalism, Clare has also published short stories and three novels, including a musically based novel set in the time of Claudio Monteverdi, Masque of the Gonzagas.

    Instagram: Clare.Colvin

    Photo Credit: Victoria Carew-Hunt

  • head and shoulders photo of Cormac wearing black spectacles and a dark shirt

    Cormac Richards

    Reviewer

    Cormac Richards is based in SW England and has been involved in the theatre for over 50 years and has performed in and directed many musicals and plays.

    As a writer, Cormac covers many genres from pantomimes to pithy monologues. Subjects he covers in his include theatre, prison and film stars. His plays have been performed across the UK.

    Cormac has been a regular reviewer for Reviewsgate for over 5 years and his reviews and articles have appeared on other websites and in magazines and newspapers. His reviews cover many aspects of the performing arts, including theatre, dance, opera and music.

  • head and shoulders photo of David, wearing spectacles and wearing a multi-coloured striped shirt

    David Gray

    Reviewer

    David has a lifelong interest in the Performing Arts. He studied English Literature and Theatre as a BA Combined Honours student at The University of Birmingham, specialising in Metaphysical & Romantic Poetry; Opera, Musical Theatre and Modern Dance Language. He went on to study voice at Postgraduate level at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He has developed, delivered and written practical and academic courses in Opera Studies and Musical Theatre for the Universities of Warwick and Lancaster. He is a singer and teacher of the Tenor Voice.

  • head and shoulders photo of Matthew with a beige, green zipper top

    Matthew Alicoon

    Reviewer

    Matthew has had a passion for going to the cinemas for several years. In 2013, he launched on Twitter as @matt_the_critic ‘The Teenage Film, Television and Theatre Critic’. Matthew shares "The skills I have learnt as a reviewer have allowed me to develop as a filmmaker / producer. I completed the BFI Programme in 2018, I produced and wrote our final year degree production “Pick a Card” and I have recently graduated with a First-Class Honours degree in the BSc Film Production Technology course at Birmingham City University. I will be continuing my filmmaking journey with my MA in Drama Production at The University of Salford."

    X Platform: @matt_the_critic

  • head and shoulders photo of Paul with a black short with sailer motiffs on

    Paul Gray

    Reviewer

    Paul is an academic, composer, choral director & reviewer of music, currently studying with Composer & Prof. Paul Mealor as a doctoral student of choral & vocal composition at the University of Aberdeen. Paul's academic background, experience & interests are in the fields of musical analysis, Mahler studies, composition, choral conducting/editing & directing, music history & performance, musicology, music & arts education including teacher training (at all ages). Paul is the author of a wide range of accredited courses, certificates, diplomas & (parts of) degrees in music & music education in HE at various universities.

  • head and shoulders photo of William sitting in front of a bookshelf, wearing spectacles and a black zipper top

    William Ruff

    Reviewer

    William has been writing about classical music in the East Midlands ever since he became reviewer for the Nottingham Post in 1993. More recently he has interviewed soloists and conductors onstage at the Royal Concert Hall before Nottingham Classics concerts as well as giving frequent talks about repertoire to adult education groups and concert audiences. He is a graduate of St John’s College, Oxford and was for many years Head of English at Nottingham High School.

  • Joanna Jarvis

    Reviewer

    Joanna has a life-long interest in and knowledge of theatre in general and costume in particular. After taking a degree in Theatre Design, she worked at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and as a free-lance designer and maker of period costume. Joanna worked extensively as a university lecturer in Design and recently completed her PhD focusing on the presentation of women performers through their costume and dress on the eighteenth-century stage; an interest she continues to follow. In addition to her extensive understanding of how performance works, Joanna brings her specialist knowledge of design and performance history to ReviewsGate.

  • Dr Hannah Phillips

    Dr Hannah Phillips is a socially engaged theatre director, writer, producer and academic. She is the Artistic Director of Mobilise Arts, former Director of Transformation at Worcester Arts Workshop and Director of Artrix Arts Centre. She was the Director of Young People’s Theatre at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Hannah is an Associate Lecturer at The University of Worcester and Birmingham City University. She was former Deputy Director of the School of Acting at The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Birmingham Newman University. She was an arts and entertainment critic for BBC Hereford and Worcester. Hannah’s areas of interest are queer and feminist theatre, the intersection of live and digital theatre and creative wellbeing.

    https://hannahphillips.com/

    https://www.mobilisearts.co.uk/

    X Platform: @HannahYellowitz

    Insta @hannah_yellowitz

    Linked in @DrHannahPhillips (SFHEA)