What We Review
Bardolatry reviews films, stage productions and books related to Shakespeare. This includes biographies (including the Authorship question), history, criticism, works on Shakespeare in performance, and spinoffs inspired by Shakespeare. Indeed, just about anything related to the Bard, but with an emphasis on Shakespeare-on-film and stage.
Who We Are
The site is a project of Idylls Press, but our reviewers, whether directly connected to Idylls Press or not, approach their subjects from their own distinct viewpoints. The only thing we all necessarily have in common is our bardolatry. And, as our collection of reviews (and reviewers) expands, we hope to see an ever wider variety of approaches and sensibilities in these pages.
Comments & Alternate Reviews
We offer readers the opportunity to comment on all our reviews, which we hope will promote ongoing conversation, and even encourage counter-reviews in cases where there may prove to be some disagreement among thoughtful readers on a production’s (or book’s) virtues or vices. Or just to point out a different aspect of a particular production or book.
Why Review for Us?
Bardolatry is not at present a paying market, though we would very much like to see that change as our readership (and advertising) grows. We are also hopeful that the time will soon come when established reviewers will receive review copies gratis, or complimentary theatre tickets.
We do, however, offer our reviewers their own web page on the site. Since our readership is growing by the month, reviewing here can be an excellent means of promotion for writers, especially those with published books. (Go to the “Our Reviewers” page to see examples.) On their individual pages, reviewers are welcome to post a picture, a brief biography, and information about their own published works, including links to Amazon pages, etc. ..
Review Guidelines
In general, reviews should be between 400 and 1000 words in length. Film or stage reviews should discuss what worked (or didn’t) in the production, and why, but always with an attitude suggesting that the reviewer (and reader) is aware that reviewe are highly subjective, not pronouncements from on high.
We have found that including graphics or video clips from the film or production are very helpful in attracting readers by way of image searches. There are a number of inexpensive screen- and video- capture programs out there, and most theatre companies will provide graphics for journalists and bloggers on request. But if a reviewer is not able to provide these graphics, your Humble Editor may be able to, so don’t let that stop you from submitting a review.
And of course we are always delighted when reviewers submit reviews of “classic” Shakespeare films or Bard-related books from their own collections. If someone else has posted a review of that production, don’t let that stop you from submitting your own take!
Contact Us!
So, if you are interested in contributing Bardolatry, please spend a little time familiarizing yourself with our site, then contact us using this form:
