‘Be thou Familiar, But by no means Vulgar’: Australian Theatre Blogging Practice

Abstract

This paper explores the nature and current function of the Australian theatrical blogosphere. Over a two-year period we have observed the shrinking coverage of arts practices by Australian newspapers alongside a complementary expansion of online, self-published, performance-related discussion and commentary. We argue that bloggers and blog posts now contribute so significantly to Australian theatre practice, production and reception that researchers need to find a methodology to engage with this practice as part of their analysis of live theatre production and reception in Australia...