 Shulman received the IPA Award as Critic of the Year 1966.In 1956, he wrote a scathing review of a musical "Wild Grows the Heather" based on a J. M. Barrie play, "The Little Minister".Directed by Ralph Reader who also wrote the lyrics, it received an ovation on its first night but Shulman and other critics knew that this was because Reader had given out first night tickets to the boys taking part in one of his Boy Scout productions and told them to go along and give the piece a good reception.