Playwright – James Graham
Venue – Harrogate Studio Theatre
Director – Tony Fennerty
Cast
- Larry Lamb – Elliott Matthews
- Rupert Murdoch – Jamie Nicholson-Ruther
- Hugh Cudlipp – Clive Kirkham
- Brian McConnell – Richard Blackburn
- Ray Mills – Dane Wright
- Joyce Hopkirk – Janet Wilson
- Fralnk Nicklin/Sir Alick McKay – Richard Milton
- Bernard Shrimsley/Percy Roberts – Chris Kendall
- Stephanie Rahn – Susannah Todd
- Diana/Chrissie/Anna Murdoch – Kirsty Abraham
- Christopher Timothy/Bench hand – Leo Portal
- Muriel McKay/Apprentice – Carmen Ronda Perez
- Chapel Father/John Desborough – Mark Nicholls
In 1969, despite the development of electronic printing, Fleet Street was still using hot metal, where each line of the paper was cast in molten lead. Printing a paper was highly technical and the print unions were immensely powerful. Hugh Cudlipp was appointed editor of the Daily Mirror in 1958 and he is credited with the creation of the modern tabloid; his Daily Mirror becoming the top selling newspaper in the UK. As chairman of the International Publishing Corporation Cudlipp sold the Sun newspaper, a failing broad sheet, to Rupert Murdochs in 1969. He turned it into a popular tabloid which, by 1978 was outselling the Mirror. With the aid of Thatcher’s union laws, Murdoch abolished hot metal printing, sacking 6000 print workers and moving to a modern electronic printing works in Wapping. The rest of the industry was forced to follow suit and modernise to remain competitive, resulting in the end of Fleet Street as the heart of the newspaper industry.
James Graham is an award winning playwright and screen writer. His prolific output includes for the stage This House, Labour of Love, Dear England and Punch. TV credits include Sherwood, Quiz and Brexit: The Uncivil War. Ink is currently being made into a film by director Danny Boyle.