GET OUT MORE…THEATRE REVIEW

11-10-2006

Does Pravda, a satire on the newspaper industry from 1985, stand up well in the internet age? "Yes",says Paula Elenor, reporting live from the front stalls at Birmingham Rep.

Howard Brenton and David Hare's 1985 satire on the hypocrisy and ruthlessness of Fleet Street still resonates - it still packs a punch 21 years later. I must say I enjoyed it on Monday night it after a fairly patchy beginning. A particularly strong, and slightly scary, performance from Roger Allam as the media baron Lambert la Roux - the unscrupulous South African who bought his way into the British Establishment and degraded its political discourse - gave the production vigour and an edge.

Yes, the trappings of pre-computer newsrooms do seem quaint now , but I couldn't help thinking how times haven't changed that much - how independent are journalists in their pursuit of truth - particularly when it's a truth that doesn't fit in with the world view of the establishment politicians? The title Pravda - truth in Russian- is only used once in the play - ironically by a journalist who has just watched his editor change a story so much that has became a meaningless lie. He is calling to mind the Soviet paper infamous for its peddling of the Communist Party line.

I couldn't help thinking of the tragic murder this week of Anna Politkavskaya, the fearless Russian journalist who doggedly pursued truths too inconvenient for Putin's government. If ever we need fearless journalists to tell us unpleasant truths we need them now - think of Chechnya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay!

So yes, it is still worth watching in 2006 - the script is witty and scathing and even if the politics leave you cold just enjoy Roger Allam's performance as the slightly mad Lambert la Roux -it is both a joy and a terror to see such a monster in action!

(NB I would also recommend Shakespeare's cycle of History plays currently in performance at Stratford. Henry VI parts 1,2 and 3 are still running at the new Courtyard Theatre until October 21st. You may still be able to get tickets! And book now for Richard III performed by the same brilliant ensemble)

PRAVDA RUNS AT BIRMINGHAM REP UNTIL SATURDAY. MORE DETAILS FROM www.birmingham-rep.co.uk