It’s 1985 and Brenda Dean is the first woman to lead a major British trade union. But she quickly faces a crisis as Rupert Murdoch unleashes his clandestine plans to revolutionise the production of British newspapers.
With 5,000 jobs on the line and the future of newspapers in the balance, she decides to take on Murdoch and his growing global media empire. But with time running out, and Murdoch’s influence growing, can she pull together the might of the unions to bring him down?
From the writers of ★★★★★ box office smash The Gang of Three comes this politically charged thriller about “The Battle of Wapping”. A year-long clash of wills between Rupert Murdoch and Brenda Dean where treachery, secret plots, technological change and civil unrest collide.
A gripping true story of power, print and protest, that changed Fleet Street forever.
Directed by Josh Roche (The Forsyte Saga, Park/RSC).
Presented at the King’s Head Theatre 26 March – 3 May 2026.
Reviews
★★★★★ “Biting, bold and flexes some real theatrical muscle” — The Spy in the Stalls
★★★★ “Strong writing, fine performances, and excellent direction” — LondonTheatre1
Cast
Alan Cox — Rupert Murdoch
Alasdair Harvey — Andrew Neil
Claudia Jolly — Brenda Dean
Georgia Landers — Joan Harrison
Jonathan Jaynes — Bill Sargeant
Russell Bentley — Kelvin MacKenzie
Creative team
Writers: Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky
Director: Josh Roche
Set and Costume Designer: Peiyao Wang
Lighting Designer: Josh Gadsby
Sound Designer and Composer: Sarah Spencer
Casting Director: Harry Gilbert
Dialect Coach: Simon Money
Coalition
Edinburgh Fringe 2012, London 2013
Making News
Edinburgh Fringe 2013
Kingmaker
Edinburgh Fringe 2014, London and Brighton, 2015
Impossible
Edinburgh Fringe 2015
Brexit
Edinburgh Fringe 2018, London 2018–19
The Gang of Three
The King’s Head, May 2025; UK tour 2026