With a sad heart this to advice that veteran Sydney arts journalist Lynne Lancaster has passed away after a long battle with illness.
Lynne was a prolific reviewer for Sydney Arts Guide, writing just shy of 1,000 reviews. She was also a regular contributor to ArtsHub and Dance Informa.
She wrote clear, informed, detailed reviews on a wide spectrum of the arts; theatre, dance, ballet, cinema, music, books and the visual arts. Lynne was such a prolific reviewer that once I confirmed receipt of her latest review, I would email her back, asking her what’s next in the queue to come out of the Lynne Lancaster Review Factory. It’s so sad that this factory has now closed down.
Lynne was well qualified academically to write about the arts. She had a Bachelor Of Education (Visual Arts), a Masters in Theatre Studies, a Diploma in Information Management, and whilst living in London between 2002 and 2007, Lynne completed a dance criticism course at Sadler Wells.
I have many fond memories of seeing her at shows. We would chat enthusiastically about the show during the interval. After the show I would see Lynne dart away so that she could make the next public transport connection.
In her final years, Lynne was decimated by ill health, lost about half her body weight, and was no longer able to attend arts events. She continued to submit reviews; mainly book reviews and then occasionally concert reviews, for concerts that she could watch, on her beloved IPAD, (she called her IPAD her Tardis), via the Australian Digital Concert Hall, one of the great creations that came out of the Covid period.
Lynne was well connected within the arts community and would often email me about upcoming arts events that she thought that I may not know about.
I will miss Lynne greatly. I will miss Lynne’s sense of humour, her keen arts sensibility and her friendship. I loved the way she fought against the dying of the light.
Rest in peace dear Lynne.
