Circa play - Truth Game: Sex Lies and the Fourth Estate

The Truth Game subtitled Sex Lies and the Fourth Estate is by new playwright Simon Cunliffe whose day job is as a journalist on a print newspaper. He writes a wine blog too. Some of the play must be autobiographical; the main character “the last great snorting warhorse of print journalism” is running up to expectations of becoming editor of the Advocate, and another of the central characters writes the Advocate’s editorials and the wine column.

It is a well-made thinking play with bright witty dialogue and a plot of our times. If it really is Simon Cunliffe’s first play he should be encouraged by its success to continue. Mind you if it is autobiographical he might be getting some personal gripe off his chest. There may be more to it than the desire he says he has to set a play in a traditional newsroom before it becomes obsolete. Is he rather more worried about finding a satisfying post-restructure field of endeavour for himself. It seems he has found it and we should hope for more plays set in and around newsrooms whatever their brave new structure.

When the house lights go down there is a grainy TV montage of the big news stories of the last decade or so. It reminds us of what the stuff of the news is and what the media is for. Then in front of a black curtain there is the prologue like a Shakespearean chorus getting us ready for the issues of the play. A rousing motivational speaker with the recognisable big cheesy smile, high heels, swinging Kate Middleton hair, and challenging content harangues us until the curtain sweeps away and we are into the play proper with a believable and fascinating set complete with detailed props overflowing waste paper baskets, Artemide lamps on every desk, piles of paper, photocopier, white board, the works. We can even see upstairs into the boss’s office which is elegantly tidy, it doesn’t look as though much of the actual work takes place there although some of the action of the play does.

The old hands at the Advocate are sticklers for grammar, plain writing, proper punctuation and amusingly and gratifyingly rant about it. These old retainers the solid skilled backbone of the fading Advocate are Frank Stone played stonily by Alan Lovell and Ralph Jones who is, as Brian Sergent has him, darling and charming and doddery and loyal. Belinda Barnes (Janine Burchett) who was the motivational speaker from Oz not to mention hell turns up throwing her attitudes around the newsroom in a way that infuriates poor old Frank, who relies for his defence on the divine right of the old pro journalist.

Not quite so old hand, the hardworking Sam played by Jessica Robinson is up with the action, she is a new kind of leader, inclusive, list making and dealing with some kind of past involving Frank. But Frank himself has more complications to deal with than a dalliance with Sam. Forget it Sam you can do better.

Jo Pointer (Acushla-Tara Sutton) is a dynamo, newly appointed behind Frank’s back, she is the new world arriving on-line on her inline skates with ipad and uplined social media connections she is the Advocate’s saviour and vigorously updated with it.

Other roles are performed by Whitireia Stage and Screen Arts students and they did well, those nameless wordless students. A little Bubble in tight striped skirt buzzes about peopling the stage and adding to the newsroom’s believability. An extra who faces away from the audience as he slaves over a hot screen does a masterful stretch wriggle to relieve his back strain, he deserves to turn up face-on in a bigger role soon.

Frank Stone is the main character at the heart of the play. Alan Lovell’s weak wooden portrayal does not deliver a snorting warhorse or even a believable tryhard editor. It is hard to care that Frank’s comeuppance is nigh, Ralph (Rafe) is yesterday’s man but it would have been a joy had he survived the restructure. As it is they leave together singing a ribald version of the red flag, it is Lovell’s best moment.

ENDS

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