Pravda
David Hare
A biting, high-energy satire on the British newspaper industry during the 1980s. The play follows the meteoric rise of Lambert Le Roux, an amoral South African media tycoon modeled on Rupert Murdoch, as he systematically buys up prestigious London titles and hollows out their journalistic integrity. It is a comedic but terrifying exploration of how power, greed, and the pursuit of truth can be manipulated by a single, ruthless individual. The play remains a legendary production for its sharp wit and its devastating portrayal of the surrender of the liberal establishment to corporate interests.
Lambert Le Roux: A ruthless, charismatic media mogul who treats the truth as a commodity and views the traditional British press as weak and ripe for takeover. Andrew May: A young, ambitious journalist who starts with high ideals but is gradually corrupted and discarded by Le Roux’s manipulative management style. Rebecca Foley: Andrew’s wife and a woman of integrity who serves as the moral compass of the play, witnessing her husband's descent into Le Roux's world.
First Performance: 1985, at Olivier Theatre (National Theatre), London
Major triumph; Anthony Hopkins' performance as Le Roux is considered one of the greatest in modern British theater history.
Original Actors: Anthony Hopkins, Tim McInnerny, Bill Nighy