Review: In The Print (King’s Head Theatre)

Review by Andrew Hendry Smith

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The true story of the conflict between Rupert Murdoch and Brenda Dean, best known as “The Battle of Wapping”, heads to King’s Head Theatre, with the politically charged thriller In The Print. Could this world premiere production make headlines itself, and prove to be a whopper of a hit?

In The Print is centred around the shift to digital printing that resulted in 6000 union workers being dismissed at Murdoch’s site in Wapping. These workers subsequently went on strike, leading to a year-long dispute. As the first woman to lead a British trade union, Brenda Dean takes Murdoch and his empire on in an attempt to bring him down.

Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky return to the King’s Head Theatre for their third consecutive production, with a thoroughly superb book. The duo manage to find witty and laugh-out-loud humour within this dramatic true story, making it work appropriately to fit the narrative. I haven’t heard an auditorium laugh as loudly at various points in quite a while. Even in the more serious moments where we focus on how money provides a higher social status and power for some characters, we can feel the emotion in every word said, helping to make the overall experience feel simultaneously more thrilling and disturbing.

Director Josh Roche marks his first collaboration with Khan and Salinsky in a group that feels like it should not be broken for years to come. Roche has a fantastic sense of making you feel as if you’re in the room with each character and allowing every emotion to be perfectly felt. Whether we are in a more light-hearted scene or a tense, dramatic one, you can truly feel everything intended. Roche also blends both the comedy and drama aspects together wonderfully, which can sometimes be a struggle in some productions.

The cast consists of six consistently brilliant actors. It felt inspiring to see an ensemble work so brilliantly together onstage by fully committing to their respective characters, and making strong relationships with the others around them, ensuring the story is as strong as possible. Highlights include Alan Cox giving a convincingly menacing performance as Rupert Murdoch, whose high status of wealth and power flows through body language. From the moment he enters the stage, you are hooked. 

Claudia Jolly does a brilliant job as Brenda Dean, showing strong emotion both when fighting for the rightful recognition for the dismissed union workers, as well as when submitting herself to Murdoch after accepting the union can no longer continue strike  She makes the aaudience, feel sympathy at various points in the show, rooting for her success and that is a testament to her fantastic performance. With only two or three scenes offstage in the 90-minute production, it is a demanding yet wholly impressive turn.

The standout performance of the night, however, goes to Russell Bentley. As Kelvin MacKenzie, he may have the least time onstage compared to other characters, but the mixture of emotions he expresses was conveyed spectacularly. When he was comedic, he was hilarious. When he was dramatic, you felt threatened. I was in awe of his performance throughout.

In a 90-minute thrilling journey, In The Print is a wonderful time at the theatre, bringing an important story to life with heart and humour. Its strong book and talented ensemble make this a show well worth reading about.

In The Print plays at King’s Head Theatre until 3rd May. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/in-the-print-tickets