Theatres lying about their reviews

[BillC]

A new European Union law (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre/news/excellent-theatres-forced-to-withdraw-misleading-reviews-835860.html) forcing theatres to be honest about quoting their reviews is due to come into effect. While a certain amount of... spin might be expected when a theatre is compiling an advertisement, I was surprised to learn of the extent to which they would selectively quote their reviews. To put it bluntly, they were no less than lying.

Consider the following collection, courtesy of The Independent:

Zipp, Duchess Theatre, 2003
Quote: "Book now", Independent on Sunday
Full version: "If schoolboy innuendo is your bag, book now."

When Harry Met Sally, Theatre Royal, Haymarket, 2004
Quote: "Fans of Alyson Hannigan and Luke Perry will be ecstatic", Time Out
Full version: "Fans of Alyson Hannigan and Luke Perry will be ecstatic – their companions will just have to fake an interest".

Guys and Dolls, Piccadilly Theatre, 2005
Quote: "Hilarious", Independent on Sunday
Full version: "Frank Loesser's great musical from 1950 is hilarious... Grandage's production often falls somewhat flat".

Sinatra, London Palladium, 2006
Quote: "Energy, razzmatazz and technical wizardry", The Observer
Full version: "For all the energy, razzmatazz and technical wizardry, the audience had been short-changed".

Saturday Night Fever, Apollo Victoria, 2004
Quote: "All-out retro-romp", The Times
Full version: "If it's an all-out retro-romp you want, this only fitfully delivers."

How did they get away with it for so long?

[Mojo]

See also: "Critic's Choice (http://www.wepsite.de/Critic's%20Choice.htm)".

[andyandy]

Yes it is amazing that this hasn't been illegally previously. It is after all a form of fraud where you trade on someone else's reputation to earn money by deception.

The other trick of the trade which is used more by movies is to cultivate friendship with certain journalists by providing free holidays, premier tickets and access to star interviews with the implicit understanding that a good review will follow. The journalist knows that any bad review will result in this level of access being withdrawn for future movies.....

trust no one :)

[Mojo]

Ah. it's the The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20081277_en_1) again. So far we've had psychics and theatres. The sCAM industry doesn't seem to have noticed item 17 on the list yet: Falsely claiming that a product is able to cure illnesses, dysfunction or malformations.