Do you remember Nina Myskow? She was the controversial TV critic who used to write scathing attacks for the News of the World back in the '80s and '90s. She once wrote a review about one of my television appearances that simply read: “Pete Price. Who is he? Who cares?”
Unsurprisingly, that remark stuck with me. In fact, someone asked me recently, “How did you even become a film and theatre critic? What credentials do you have?” Well, ironically, it was Nina’s dismissive comment that drove me down that path in the first place. Years later, I actually ended up doing a live TV show with her. I seized the moment and confronted her: “Hi Nina, it’s Pete Price. Who is he? Who cares?” She just laughed nervously.
During my early years in radio, reviewing shows and films became a major - and incredibly popular - strand of my program. In those days, press screenings for new movies were held at 10:00 AM in the big cinemas. It was an intimate group; usually just me, Joe Riley from the ECHO, the late Phil Key from the Daily Post, and occasionally a young Peter Grant. Phil always used to make me laugh because he insisted on using full surnames in his reviews. He once wrote about my performance in Cinderella at the fabulous Empire Theatre: “Price actually does an acting job to great effect; the result is perfect comedy.”
Between learning the inner workings of the movie industry and being a massive film fan myself, I was building my foundation. My introduction to the theatre started even earlier, though. I was just 10-years-old when I first discovered the Liverpool Empire and the magic of live performance. From that moment, I was hooked. I never could have dreamed that one day I would actually perform on that very stage.
My background as a performer gave me a unique insight into how a production works. I can look at a show critically and constructively because I know exactly what I’m talking about - I've done it. That sets me apart from the critics who have never actually set foot on a stage. Combined with decades of talking to the public on my radio show, I developed a deep understanding of what audiences truly want.
All of this grounding gave me the opportunity to review, but I made a conscious decision early on: I would be clever, not ruthless. If I don't like a show, I simply won’t write about it. The way I see it, the artists on stage and the crew behind the scenes rely on these productions for their livelihoods, and I refuse to take that away from them. Years ago, critics held the terrifying power to close down a million-pound production overnight.
I'll always remember the legendary producer Bill Kenwright breaking that cycle. When he brought Blood Brothers to Broadway in 1993, the New York critics were brutally harsh. But Bill believed in the show so much that he essentially put two fingers up to the critics and kept it running. Word of mouth spread, the public absolutely loved it, and it went on to become one of the longest-running musicals on Broadway. Bill broke the mold.
Today, thanks to my radio background, TV appearances, and social media following, I still review shows whenever I’m invited. But the landscape has completely changed. Nowadays, everyone is a critic. That is the power of the modern smartphone: with one click, you’ve published your own critique to the world. Between social media, TripAdvisor, and influencers, the whole world is at it. But it makes you wonder - will the internet generation ever produce critics as formidable as the ones from the good old days?
