The best Theatre newsletters

A newsletter of essays and interviews about tabletop RPG design, currently a series on metagames, game-within-a-game design, and the links between theatre and RPGs. Readers get critical analysis, references to games and theory, and insight into the author's own game projects.

Glenn Sumi's blog offers reviews, interviews and features on Toronto's performing arts scene, along with film reviews and theatre listings. Readers get informed, opinionated coverage of local theatre productions and related film and TV.

Midbrow is a local arts criticism newsletter covering exhibitions, concerts and theatre productions, mainly in Tulsa and Hartford. Each issue offers first-person reviews that describe specific works and performances and weigh their strengths and flaws.

Howard Gray's Groove Theory newsletter explores the unscripted, behind-the-scenes craft of how creative work and people get good at it, using historical case studies such as Pina Bausch's Bochum production and a Channel 4 Serie A broadcast. Issues also include personal football club writing about Clapton CFC.

A personal newsletter by a Chicago-based writer covering theatre previews, interviews with theatre directors, and film criticism, with candid reflections on the writer's own life. Readers get sharp, opinionated reviews and personal essays that connect art to broader questions about family, technology and early adulthood.

Andrew Harper's irregular personal newsletter writes at length about contemporary art, especially exhibitions in Tasmania and Australia, mixing gallery reviews with reflections on risk, change and memory. Readers get discursive, opinionated essays on specific shows and artists rather than news or listings.

A personal blog-style newsletter of theatre reviews and musings on sustainability, written by a New Zealand author who reviews productions in detail, including staging, performances and direction. Readers get vivid, first-person accounts of plays across Aotearoa, with a sense of what each show feels like to watch.

Sara McCrea's newsletter shares her personal essays, podcast releases and theatre criticism, often reflecting on attention, technology, and the texture of New York life. Readers get literate, reflective writing with occasional announcements of her audio and criticism work.

Local news from Eastbourne, England, featuring theatre reviews by volunteer critics and community-researched features on neighbourhood history. Readers get coverage of local culture, heritage and community life in the town.

Bicerin is a personal essay newsletter by a writer exploring why people engage in the arts, from blacksmithing and sacred heritage in East Kent to musical theatre. Issues pair reflections on craft and meaning with notes on related podcast episodes and events.

A personal newsletter from Melbourne theatremaker Ryan Hamilton covering his plays, the state of arts funding, and the future of arts criticism. Issues mix writer's notes on his productions with event invitations and reflections on criticism and theatre culture.

Personal essays and commentary from actor, writer and acting coach David August, covering memories, arts economics and media criticism with a sharp, opinionated voice. The newsletter mixes stories, satire, how-to guides and takes on current industry news.

A personal blog-style newsletter of essays on whatever the writer is thinking about, from a theatre review of a robot play to reflections on Victorian gothic fiction and 2008 TV and music nostalgia. It offers a warm, first-person read for those who enjoy a literate, idiosyncratic voice.

A Wellington improvisor's newsletter covering improv workshop takeaways, local festival listings (NZ Improv Festival, TAHI, NZ Fringe), shows at BATS Theatre, and commentary on New Zealand arts funding cuts. Readers get practical improv teaching notes alongside a community calendar for Wellington's performance scene.

Encore+ is a multi-city arts newsletter covering theatre, classical music, and cultural events in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area, with event listings and short editorial previews. Readers get a roundup of upcoming shows, openings, and program notes, plus brief commentary on what's worth attending.

A newsletter on theatre, theory, cinema, literature and art, drawing on philosophers such as Deleuze, Guattari, Bergson and Spinoza. The sample issue features a piece on Simon Taylor and the idea that cinema signals a change in the fundamental structure of reality, published with Herri.

A newsletter from indie queer experimental theatre collective Pigeon Pigeon in Melbourne, mainly promoting their Melbourne Fringe shows, ticket discounts and critic quotes. It also includes personal notes from the makers about staging and their work.

KONTRÄR is a newsletter from a Stockholm contemporary theatre sharing upcoming performances and event news. The excerpts are short announcements with informal, playful headlines and little editorial depth.

Essays and announcements from French painter Elisabeth W about her symbolic artworks, including the Les Révélations du Désir diptych and its theatrical dialogue with Shakespeare's sonnets. Readers get reflections on desire, memory, absence and projection alongside promotion of her exhibitions and productions.

Many Hats Theatre Co announces its live productions, including a comedic take on every Christmas story, a solo performance of Every Brilliant Thing, and Norm Foster's comedy The Long Weekend. The newsletter mainly promotes show details, cast information and ticket logistics.

Updates from Melbourne Shakespeare Company on its current and upcoming productions, including cast announcements, ticket discounts and performance details. Readers get booking information and a little behind-the-scenes context for Shakespeare theatre in Melbourne.

Announcements from a student-run original theatre group, covering ticket sales and casting calls for its semester play and introducing its committee. The excerpts are mostly promotional updates with little writing about theatre craft or analysis.

Press roundups and promotional notices for one-night concert productions at the London Palladium, including Side Show and Bare. It mainly re-posts announcements and ticket links for West End shows.