The West End Whingers is a London-based theatre blog which publishes humorous and satirical reviews of mostly West End theatre productions.
The blog was founded in June 2006 by a pair of London bloggers known only as "Phil" and "Andrew" who were inspired to begin the blog after seeing a production of Sam Shepard's Fool for Love starring Juliette Lewis.[1]
Their reviews exhibit many of the characteristics of gonzo journalism, differing from conventional reviews in their excessive focus on subjective responses, openly held artistic prejudices and a willingness to discuss aspects of the theatre going experience beyond the merits of the show being evaluated. Capable of both savage criticism and fulsome praise their reviews are tempered by a self-deprecating humour. They often review shows which are still in preview and have not yet had their official press night.
A survey into preferred sources of critical opinion by the industry paper The Stage on 6 May 2010 found the West End Whingers to be "the most popular online choice by some distance".[2]
The blog received global attention in March 2010 when its review of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Love Never Dies re-dubbed the show "Paint Never Dries".[3]
In December 2010 the West End Whingers were listed at number 50 of The Times newspaper's "luvvie power list 2010: theatre’s 50 most influential people" [4] saying "We wouldn’t normally list bloggers, but this duo brought the blogosphere into repute with their “Paint Never Dries” tag for Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies."