Theatre review: Fishwrap, Glasgow
Fishwrap
Oran Mor, Glasgow
Star rating: * * *
Playing at Oran Mor until today, and at the Gaiety Theatre, Ayr, next week, Fishwrap tells the tale of Caroline, a bright young journalism graduate who seizes the chance to take over a failing local newspaper in Clackmannanshire, and to try to inject some life into its circulation figures by the time-honoured methods of sexing up and dumbing down.
In Clackmannanshire, though, Caroline meets Thomas, the ex-editor she is replacing, a devastatingly handsome and principled guy – played very convincingly by Ben Clifford – who believes in old-fashioned news values, and in using journalism to expose the abuse of power; and when the ghastly Polly St James arrives from head office for an inspection visit, the plot reaches a crisis. The script is fast-moving, well-made, and just a shade naive; Thomas and Caroline are saved, in the end, when he receives a major job offer from The Scotsman. Fishwrap is a brisk, heartfelt play, though, about an important subject. And with Helen McKay and Louise Ludgate throwing in a pair of well-judged performances as Caroline and the dreadful Polly, the very caricature of a wicked newspaper lady, there’s plenty to enjoy in Fishwrap, and plenty to ponder, too.
Seen on 10.02.14