What’s the worst part of my job? Actually, I like almost all of what I do – what’s not to like, being able to go to the theatre every single night and getting paid for it, or meeting people one admires and then writing about them? But the writing, whether of reviews or interview profiles, is actually the easy – or at least the pleasurable – part. Before you can get to that point, there’s the more tedious part of planning and juggling diaries – one that you don’t entirely have control over, as I’ve often pointed out here before, with the phenomena of clashing press nights. Or worse still, that of clashing PR priorities, whose job it is to manage the publicity process on behalf of their clients: I don’t for a minute imagine it is an easy job, trying to keep so many balls in the air and keep everyone happy all at the same time, and they sometimes have to make choices.
But there’s a difference between prioritising some channels and invoking delaying tactics to keep others hanging on. If I’m not going to get an interview, I’m always happiest if the PR is upfront enough to say so: at least I can then move on.
Today I move on myself to Las Vegas, and was hoping when I got there to possibly interview Bette Midler – but have been courteously and promptly told that she’s not doing any more media at present. At least I know where I stand. That’s all you ask for. Recently, too, I tried to secure Jo Brand for an interview to coincide with her current West End run in The Pirates of Penzance, but the word came back: she hates the Sunday Express. As it turns out, the feeling is mutual – I hated her in the show. But once again, at least I knew where I was. It’s what makes a PR veteran like Peter Thompson still one of the best in the business: when you file a request with him, you know it will be dealt with – and you quickly know, too, why it isn’t happening if it doesn’t, as here. Likewise, I recently filed a late interview request with another PR, Ben Chamberlain – 20 minutes later, he called back to confirm that he’d set it up for the very next morning. It’s also always a pleasure to deal with such superbly professional and personable PR outfits like the National Theatre’s press office, Janine Shalom at Premier and her always-efficient support staff or Ewan Thomson at Borkowski and his excellent co-workers, amongst others.
Another agency, on the other hand, whom I won’t go public with for fear of getting one in the eye, have let me down so often lately that I won’t seek out interviews with clients they represent. It’s just too much fuss: a constant flurries of e-mails checking my availability finally result in a cul-de-sac where they don’t materialise after all. Still, I’m always secretly relieved for one reason only: it’s one less tape to transcribe. That actually has to be the worst part of my job. (That is not, however, a problem that AA Gill has, apparently.)
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