Reviewing people you know

Hey all, I have to start by saying thank you all for your comments so far. I have to agree from reading what you all have to say that it IS impossible to write an un-biassed review - but that's true for any piece of theatre, not just for theatre that has your friends in it. We're all going to be informed by our own personal tastes, and that's a good thing. I get the feeling that most people are saying yes you can write an honest review about your friends' work - which is what I thought too. I take on board the idea that one MUST be really careful with how you put things - I certainly try to be, I read over anything I post 3 or 4 times to make sure it says what I want it to say, but of course people will read/interpret anything that goes up here in their own way. I have experienced exactly what Neville says about reviews that pander or don't add up - you need to be honest. By saying things are fabulous all the time people stop taking you seriously - you generally know if you've done something that wasn't the best quality and if someone says it was fantastic you start to wonder about their credibility... I have to disagree with 'In_the_know_Joe' though. He says: "If you know someone in the show, don't review it. Simple as that. It all ends in tears." I've never had it end in tears. I do agree though that sometimes it is better to talk to an individual personally - very good point. Thanks for the feedback so far - here's hoping there's some more! Darren