REVIEW: Great Britain at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

This play is a look at society and the media, its packed with laughs and clever humour but I left the theatre thinking how terrible of a person I am. We, as the public, are the ones buying the newspapers, looking at the articles online and scrolling on our twitter and facebook feeds to get the latest news. As said by Paige in the play, “That’s what we do, we destroy lives… but it’s on your behalf”. I can’t help but think that the play points out that its the publics fault that the media do so many terrible things for our benefit. The media thrive on attention from the public, this is particularly shown in the final scene where (after being arrested) Paige Britain gets her own TV show. So the real question that is being raised is, is it all our fault?

Its set at the office (amongst other locations) of ‘The Free Press’, a newspaper thats sold for 30p to the public. You have an insight to the cut throat industry who only care about how many people buy their paper. Paige Britain (See the link with the title?!) finds out how to hack phones and uses this to create exclusive content for their paper whilst also using it to blackmail people for scoops. 

Lucy Punch will take over from Billie Piper in West End transfer of GREAT BRITAIN

Lucy Punch will take over from Billie Piper as Paige Britain for the West End transfer of Great Britain.

Richard Bean's satire, which premiered at the National Theatre last month, takes a wide-ranging swipe at the press, police and political establishment in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.

Paige Britain is the ambitious young news editor of The Free Press, a tabloid newspaper locked in a never-ending battle for more readers.

Lucy Punch's previous theatre credits include Boy Gets Girl for the Royal Court, A Carpet, A Pony, and A Monkey for the Bush Theatre and The Graduate in the West End.

The National Theatre's GREAT BRITAIN will transfer to the West End this September

Richard Bean's new phone hacking play Great Britain, which opened at the National Theatre only yesterday, has announced that it is transferring to the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 10 September.

Nicholas Hytner's production was well-received after it opened following just a week's notice after the culmination of the phone hacking trial last week.

Billed as an 'anarchic satire', Bean's play delves into the murky waters of the press, police and political establishment, and the cast at the National includes Billie Piper, Robert Glenister, Oliver Chris and Harriet Thorpe.

Billie Piper will star in the new play GREAT BRITAIN by Richard Bean at the National Theatre

The details have finally been revealed of Richard Bean’s previously reported new play at Britain's National Theatre. For legal reasons the production was unable to announce until the phone hacking trial that has rocked the U.K. ended. Great Britain, directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Billie Piper, will open at the Lyttelton Theatre on June 30 and run through August 23. The production will have no previews.

The new play is an anarchic satire about the press, the police and the political establishment. Piper plays Paige Britain, the ambitious young news editor of The Free Press, a tabloid newspaper locked in a never-ending battle for more readers.