In the Print 
Kings Head Theatre, London
★★★★★

THIS entertaining play covers the duration of the year-long Wapping dispute, between 1986 and 1987, focusing on key players Brenda Dean, general secretary of the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT), and Rupert Murdoch.

Dean, played nicely by Claudia Jolly, and Alan Cox as a surly Murdoch dominate proceedings, jousting over the issues at stake.

Other characters come and go. So, there is Russell Bentley as the foul-mouthed Sun editor Kelvin McKenzie and Alasdair Harvey as the urbane Sunday Times Editor Andrew Neill.

The writers, Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky, who previously wrote Gang of Three, nicely capture the conflictual relationship between Dean and Murdoch.

On the one hand we have Murdoch, who wants change at any cost, seeing more profit for him as progress; and on the other is Dean, who is not opposed to change but wants it done more humanely.

The difficulty of Dean’s position is illustrated in a sub plot about the unions being able to use the News International equipment to produce a left of centre paper “between the Guardian and Morning Star.”

The Labour Party director of communication agrees. “Peter [Mandelson] is a man you can trust,” says Murdoch, to much mirth in the audience.

But Dean wants to produce the paper using the traditional print methods, only to be informed by the union lawyer Joan Harrison (Georgia Landers) that it would at best last a year.

Dean probably receives generous treatment in the play, given that her role was certainly not approved by all in the trade union movement. Some felt she sold out and were suspicious of her secret meetings with Murdoch.

After the dispute, SOGAT merged with the National Graphical Association, with Dean losing out to Tony Dubbins in the election for leader. She stayed in the role for a year, then went to the Lords in 1992.

The depiction of Murdoch is spot on: a man who sees himself as some sort of industrial evangelist for the newspaper industry. Winning and profit are all that matters, and people have no value.

This is nicely underlined by the sight of Murdoch destroying all around him. So his right hand fixer is sacked, while Andrew Neill is moved out of the Sunday Times. “Andrew Neill is someone you must kill with kindness. But make sure he is dead,” is one memorable line.

Even Eric Hammond, general secretary of the Electrical Electronic Telecommunication & Plumbing union, who worked with Murdoch to undermine the other unions is described as “duplicitous,” and so expendable.

Overall, this is an enjoyable play, never going too deep into the detail of the dispute but managing to set it in the the wider context of struggle between organised labour and the Thatcher government.

The cut and thrust between characters is lightened with witty dialogue and a little slapstick.

Director Josh Roche keeps the 90 minute narrative (no interval) moving at a good pace.

Well worth watching to get an insight on the past 1980s industrial struggles, including the mendacity that led Murdoch to dominate the media terrain of the next 40 years. Most enjoyable.

Runs until May 3. Box office: 0207 226 8561, kingsheadtheatre.com