If a certain Piers Morgan has any free time, in between pruning his roses, to catch this world premiere penned by the clearly talented Steve Thompson, he would surely find it both entertaining and uncomfortably close to some home truths. Truth here being the optimum word in a tale set in the offices of a red top tabloid which has sleazy skeletons positively leaping out of cupboards, chips on a fair few shoulders and moral dilemmas aplenty - all being painfully bared as the print deadline approaches. In the day editor’s chair is Howard, the wise old owl with the mildly cliched, ‘seen it all, done it all’ manner and who, with a constantly lugubrious demeanour, appears content just to scan through page proofs, delighting in spotting inaccuracies while all hell gradually breaks out. “Woking’s still in Surrey, isn’t it?”, he asks mischieveously, having spotted one such ricket - many in the audience nod knowingly, perhaps not surprisingly given the Bush’s location.
Even if, at the speed he works at times, this paper must be the only monthly tabloid in existence, the badinage between Howard, played delightfully by John Bett, and the new editorial eager beaver Bas (Paul Albertson) is a joy. But, with the work environment starting to appear surely way too cosy for a tabloid, the appearance of the positively vitriolic, bullying news-hound Lister (the excellent Phil McKee), soon shakes things up, as does the last minute appearance of a potentially libellous front page splash picture story whose authenticity is in doubt.
Enter then, lawyer Abigail - played by the alluring Amanda Drew with truly impressive naturalism - to help sort out the legal niceties. Niceties which, in the event, prove anything but.
That the audience is left hanging as to whether the maxim ‘publish and be damned’ prevails or not is perfect, as, for much of the time, are all four performances. For those working in the print media, watching this may be akin to a busman’s holiday but it’s well worth taking the ride.
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