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Satirical play by David Hare and Howard Brenton
Original
National Theatre poster
Pravda is a
satirical play by
David Hare and
Howard Brenton exploring the role of journalism in society. It was first produced at the
National Theatre in London on 2 May 1985, directed by Hare and starring
Anthony Hopkins in the role of Lambert Le Roux,
white South African
media mogul .
[1] Labelled a "
Fleet Street comedy", it is a satire on the mid-1980s British newspaper industry during the
Thatcher era, in particular the Australian press baron
Rupert Murdoch .
[2]
[3]
[4] Its title refers to the Russian Communist party newspaper
Pravda .
The play won 1985 Best Play Award from both the London
Evening Standard Awards and
City Limits magazine.
[5] It has been described as "one of the biggest hits in the history of the National Theatre."
[6]
Original cast
Andrew May -
Tim McInnerny
Bill Smiley -
Richard Hope
Bishop of Putney - Daniel Thorndike
Cartoonist - William Sleigh
Cliveden Whicker-Baskett - Guy Williams
D P P Payne - Christopher Baines
Donna Le Roux - Zoe Rutland
Eaton Sylvester -
Bill Nighy
Elliot Fruit-Norton -
Basil Henson
Hamish McLennan; Hannon Spot - Fred Pearson
Harry Morrison -
Ron Pember
Jack ‘Breaker’ Bond - Bill Moody
Journalist - Robert Ralph
Journalist - Paul Stewart
Lambert Le Roux -
Anthony Hopkins
Larry Punt - Mark Jax
Leander Scroop -
Nigel Le Vaillant
Lord Silk; Ian Ape-Warden - Olivier Pierre
Michael Quince M.P. -
Peter Blythe
Miles Foley; Mac ‘Whipper’ Wellington; *Doug Fantom -
Ian Bartholomew
Moira Patterson -
Patricia Franklin
Newsvendor - Glenn Williams
Photographer - Desmond Adams
Princess Jill -
Harriet Thorpe
Rebecca Foley -
Kate Buffery
Sir Stamford Foley -
Ivor Roberts
Suzie Fontaine - Miranda Foster
Waiter - Norman Warwick
Critical reception
Punch called it "A savagely bitchy and often wildly funny evening"; the
Financial Times noted "A magnificent epic drama"; and
The Observer wrote of "sulphurous and crackling entertainment."
[7]
[8]
References
External links
Major plays With David Hare Television See also
Stage plays
Drama Trilogy Collaborations Adaptations Monologues Verbatim theatre
TV, film and radio
Writer
Adaptations of own plays New work
Writer/director Director