Betraying history? An historiograpic analysis of 'The Judas tree' (1992)

In performance historiography, there has been a tendency to view critical, journalistic reviews of events as 'second hand' or secondary sources which somehow 'distort' the very nature of the event itself. This research takes issue with that view, arguing that critical perception constitutes a valid source which does not distort, but presents the perception of an informed public. That is, there is no 'true' performance event, but each one exists in its public reception. An analysis is conducted of Macmillan's 'The Judas Tree' from journal and newspaper criticism and notes particularly how the choreographer's apparent obsession with female sexuality is perceived/received/ constituted in critical writing.