Great Britain is written by English playwright Richard Bean.[1] In May 2013,[2] it was revealed Bean was working on a new play based on the phone hacking scandal, having been commissioned by National Theatre artistic director Sir Nicholas Hytner, whilst still working on his play One Man, Two Guvnors.[3] Speaking about the play he revealed that it would be set in a tabloidnewsroom and is a play about the state-of-the-nation, press, politics and police in bed with each other.[2] In March 2014, it was revealed that an undisclosed Bean play would premiere as part of the National Theatre 2014-15 season,[4] Hytner's last as the National's artistic director.[5] In May 2014, it was revealed that Billie Piper and Oliver Chris were taking part in workshops for the play[6] and that the cast and crew had signed non-disclosure agreements[citation needed] for the as yet untitled production.[6]
On 25 June 2014, the play was officially announced as Great Britain and that it would premiere without a preview period on 30 June, at the National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre.[7] It is a satire about the press, police and politics, and stars Billie Piper as a newspaper editor, Paige Britain. The play is directed by Nicholas Hytner,[8] with design by Tim Hatley,[9] lighting design by Neil Austin,[10] video design by Leo Warner,[11] music by Grant Olding,[12] sound design by Paul Arditti[12] and Clive Coleman acting as a story consultant.[13] The launch was slightly delayed by concerns over legal issues which might have been caused by running at the same time as R v Coulson, Brooks and others.[14]
Following its premiere production the play transferred to the West End's Theatre Royal Haymarket on 9 September 2014,[15] with its official opening night coming on 26 September,[16] booking until 10 January 2015.[17] The transfer was announced only one day after opening at the national.[18]Lucy Punch took over the role of Paige Britain and Ben Mansfield replaced Oliver Chris as Asst. Commissioner Donald Doyle Davidson for the West End Run,[16] due to prior commitments.[19] The play was reworked for its West End debut, with around twenty minutes cut from the running time.[20]
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