Full Article Text
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019
THEATER: "INK" STAINED WRETCHES GET
THEIR DUE
INK *** out of ****
MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB AT THE SAMUEL J
FRIEDMAN THEATRE
Jonny Lee Miller was robbed. The new play Ink received a very strong
six Tony nominations this week including Best Play, Best Director andBest Supporting Actor for Bertie Carvel's turn as Rupert Murdoch. But
Miller anchors this show as the ink-stained wretch Larry Lamb, the
newsman who partnered with Murdoch to turn the British tabloid TheSun into a newspaper with the lowest common denominator in termsof smarts and the highest circulation. FOX News, much? Miller brokeout with the film Trainspotting and has enjoyed a string of well-
reviewed roles in the UK. I've mostly seen him grow tremendously asan actor on shows like Dexter (a great season long arc), the charming
Eli Stone and his excellent work as Sherlock Holmes on the satisfying
CBS series Elementary . But he does his best work here, making this
good-not-great drama well worth seeing.
For an ink-stained wretch like myself, the topic is fascinating. A young
Murdoch (Carvel) sees there is money to be made in the newspaperbiz. Fleet Street is crowded with competitors in 1969 but they're alloffering the same product: news that condescends to its blue collar
readers. Carvel convinces Lamb to take over the moribund Sun despite
the very long odds: they'll be stuck with a chunk of employees (theones no one else wants), the competition is fierce and the clubby worldof London journalism isn't about to make it easy for the likes of anAussie upstart like Murdoch.
Well, they never made it easy for the Yorkshire man Lamb, did they?
His background is decidedly working class, surely one big reason he'sproven himself in London but been relegated to a backwater posting.Murdoch promises Lamb a free hand as long as the editor pursues the
mass audience Murdoch wants to reach. Lamb recruits a Bad NewsMICHAEL GILTZ AT WORK
Michael Giltz is a freelance writer
based in NYC and can be reached atmgiltz@pipeline.com
FAVORITE LINKS
Americablog
Five O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's Blog
The Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPN
Radio
Cine-Blog -- George Robinson's Blog
Documents On Art & Cinema - Daryl
Chin's Blog
Brucie G's Wondrous Blog Of
Adventure and Mystery -- Bruce
Greenspan's Blog
BLOG ARCHIVE
▼ 2019 (31)
► June (1)
► May (9)
▼ April (10)
Bears of a staff, misfits one and all but folk with nothing to lose or a
desire to upend convention. Their sports guy can't spell and gets
players mixed up at times, but he can write copy like two lads chatting
at their local, not some stuffy toff weighing in on cricket. The womanin charge of the "girls" news knows women want to talk about sex. Thephotographer (seemingly camp or just completely ditzy) doesn't blinkan eye over increasingly outlandish stunts like girls in skimpy outfits
posing outside Number 10, Downing Street.
It's all such seductive fun, including a brain-storming session in which
the staff shares the stories they really care about, like the weather, free
stuff and yes sex. We know where it's headed -- gossip as news, a
relentless dumbing down of the stories that actually do matter and ininability to actually tell the difference. But the stories they discussdoing are fun and the stuffed shirt harrumphing over their tactics sotiresome you can't help rooting for The Sun to become the biggestnewspaper in the land.
Then it all falls apart. Oh, not financially. Sex sells, after all. But the
stories hit closer to home and Lamb sells his soul to push the paperover the finish line in terms of circulation. No, even he can't justifynudie photos (the now iconic Page Three girl) as anything other thanThe End Of Journalism. But it was almost fun while it lasted.
This story plays out on a marvelous Tony-nominated set by BunnyChristie (who also did the costumes). Desks are piled on top of oneanother all the way to the sky, with actors clambering up and down
throughout the show. And it's engagingly performed, with director
Rupert Goold (also a Tony nominee) eliciting strong characterizations
from a solid cast.
It's the script by James Graham that falters in the end. He does a good
job of setting up the battle between the upstarts writing fun stories
versus the boring status quo. Silly weekly contests and naughty stuntsget their due. It's the downfall where Graham falters. First comes the
inadvertent kidnapping of the wife of a top executive in Murdoch'sTHEATER: "INK" STAINED
WRETCHES GET THEIR
DUE
THEATER: "TOOTSIE" IS A
DRAG
THEATER: "ALL MY SONS"
LACKS A FAMILY
THEATER: 'HADESTOWN"
FINDS HEAVEN ONBROADWAY
THEATER: "BURN THIS"
BARELY SMOLDERS
THEATER: THE PAIN OF "THE
PAIN OF MYBELLIGERENCE"...
THEATER: QUESTIONING
"SOCRATES"
THEATER: "OKLAHOMA!" IS
OK THE SECOND TIMEAROUND!...
THEATER: LESS IS MORE AT
"MRS. MURRAY'SMENAGERIE"...
THEATER: "THE CRADLE
WILL ROCK" PUTS YOU TOSLEEP
► March (5)
► February (1)
► January (5)
► 2018 (33)
► 2017 (6)
► 2016 (2)
► 2015 (17)
► 2014 (2)
► 2013 (5)
► 2012 (17)
► 2011 (15)
► 2010 (10)
► 2009 (43)
► 2008 (86)
► 2007 (781)
► 2006 (2412)
► 2005 (5)
organization. The kidnappers wanted Murdoch's wife but messed up.
Lamb sees a massive story and wouldn't they cover it if it were anyoneelse? He calls Murdoch a hypocrite for being fun with such coverageuntil it comes to one of their own. Again and again Lamb pushes theenvelope: printing the kidnapper's retort, a message from the
kidnapped wife and on and on. Murdoch objects. The staff objects.
Even the workers printing up the issue object. But Lamb won't bestopped.
This works fine but it's followed by the introduction of nude photos to
the paper, the tits and ass of a Page Three girl. While more time isspent on the agonizing kidnapping story, the scenes on doing a nudephoto feel drawn out and laborious. Even if turning a newspaper into
little more than Playboy was the final straw, it can't compare to the life
and death stakes that preceded it. The debate is dull, theembarrassment of Lamb played oh so seriously rather than perhapsmockingly as it might (the nerve of him) and well it just can't helpseeming a whole lot of nothing. Mind you, newspapers still don'tusually traffic in erotica, so yes, it was a remarkably crass tactic. But of
course it worked.
And the coda is worse, offering the usual hints about the future with
Murdoch saying Lamb has taught him the importance of television and
he's headed over to America.... Yes, yes, we know what comes next. No
need for any coyness, thank you very much. But the murky plottingtowards the end doesn't stop Ink from being a fun and involving show
with a very good cast, led by Carvel and most especially Jonny LeeMiller.
THEATER OF 2019
Frankenstein: Under The Radar Fest at the Public ** 1/2
Minor Character: Under The Radar Festival at the Public ***
Ink: Under The Radar Festival at the Public ** 1/2
Choir Boy ** 1/2
White Noise ** 1/2
Kiss Me, Kate ***
Ain't No Mo' *** 1/2
Ain't Too Proud **
The Cradle Will Rock * 1/2
Mrs. Murray's Menagerie *** 1/2
Oklahoma! (on Broadway) ** 1/2
Socrates **
The Pain Of My Belligerence *
Burn This **
Hadestown *** 1/2
All My Sons * 1/2
Tootsie ** 1/2
Ink ***
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the creator of BookFilter, a book
lover’s best friend. It’s a website that lets you browse for books online the
way you do in a physical bookstore, provides comprehensive info on new
releases every week in every category and offers passionate personal
recommendations every step of the way. He’s also the cohost of Showbiz
Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that reveals the industry take on
entertainment news of the day with top journalists and opinion makers as
guests. It’s available for free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website.
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called
Popsurfing and also available for free on iTunes.
POSTED BY MICHAEL GILTZ AT 6:11 PM
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THEATER: "INK" STAINED WRETCHES GET
THEIR DUE
INK *** out of ****
MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB AT THE SAMUEL J
FRIEDMAN THEATRE
Jonny Lee Miller was robbed. The new play Ink received a very strong
six Tony nominations this week including Best Play, Best Director andBest Supporting Actor for Bertie Carvel's turn as Rupert Murdoch. But
Miller anchors this show as the ink-stained wretch Larry Lamb, the
newsman who partnered with Murdoch to turn the British tabloid TheSun into a newspaper with the lowest common denominator in termsof smarts and the highest circulation. FOX News, much? Miller brokeout with the film Trainspotting and has enjoyed a string of well-
reviewed roles in the UK. I've mostly seen him grow tremendously asan actor on shows like Dexter (a great season long arc), the charming
Eli Stone and his excellent work as Sherlock Holmes on the satisfying
CBS series Elementary . But he does his best work here, making this
good-not-great drama well worth seeing.
For an ink-stained wretch like myself, the topic is fascinating. A young
Murdoch (Carvel) sees there is money to be made in the newspaperbiz. Fleet Street is crowded with competitors in 1969 but they're alloffering the same product: news that condescends to its blue collar
readers. Carvel convinces Lamb to take over the moribund Sun despite
the very long odds: they'll be stuck with a chunk of employees (theones no one else wants), the competition is fierce and the clubby worldof London journalism isn't about to make it easy for the likes of anAussie upstart like Murdoch.
Well, they never made it easy for the Yorkshire man Lamb, did they?
His background is decidedly working class, surely one big reason he'sproven himself in London but been relegated to a backwater posting.Murdoch promises Lamb a free hand as long as the editor pursues the
mass audience Murdoch wants to reach. Lamb recruits a Bad NewsMICHAEL GILTZ AT WORK
Michael Giltz is a freelance writer
based in NYC and can be reached atmgiltz@pipeline.com
FAVORITE LINKS
Americablog
Five O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's Blog
The Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPN
Radio
Cine-Blog -- George Robinson's Blog
Documents On Art & Cinema - Daryl
Chin's Blog
Brucie G's Wondrous Blog Of
Adventure and Mystery -- Bruce
Greenspan's Blog
BLOG ARCHIVE
▼ 2019 (31)
► June (1)
► May (9)
▼ April (10)
Bears of a staff, misfits one and all but folk with nothing to lose or a
desire to upend convention. Their sports guy can't spell and gets
players mixed up at times, but he can write copy like two lads chatting
at their local, not some stuffy toff weighing in on cricket. The womanin charge of the "girls" news knows women want to talk about sex. Thephotographer (seemingly camp or just completely ditzy) doesn't blinkan eye over increasingly outlandish stunts like girls in skimpy outfits
posing outside Number 10, Downing Street.
It's all such seductive fun, including a brain-storming session in which
the staff shares the stories they really care about, like the weather, free
stuff and yes sex. We know where it's headed -- gossip as news, a
relentless dumbing down of the stories that actually do matter and ininability to actually tell the difference. But the stories they discussdoing are fun and the stuffed shirt harrumphing over their tactics sotiresome you can't help rooting for The Sun to become the biggestnewspaper in the land.
Then it all falls apart. Oh, not financially. Sex sells, after all. But the
stories hit closer to home and Lamb sells his soul to push the paperover the finish line in terms of circulation. No, even he can't justifynudie photos (the now iconic Page Three girl) as anything other thanThe End Of Journalism. But it was almost fun while it lasted.
This story plays out on a marvelous Tony-nominated set by BunnyChristie (who also did the costumes). Desks are piled on top of oneanother all the way to the sky, with actors clambering up and down
throughout the show. And it's engagingly performed, with director
Rupert Goold (also a Tony nominee) eliciting strong characterizations
from a solid cast.
It's the script by James Graham that falters in the end. He does a good
job of setting up the battle between the upstarts writing fun stories
versus the boring status quo. Silly weekly contests and naughty stuntsget their due. It's the downfall where Graham falters. First comes the
inadvertent kidnapping of the wife of a top executive in Murdoch'sTHEATER: "INK" STAINED
WRETCHES GET THEIR
DUE
THEATER: "TOOTSIE" IS A
DRAG
THEATER: "ALL MY SONS"
LACKS A FAMILY
THEATER: 'HADESTOWN"
FINDS HEAVEN ONBROADWAY
THEATER: "BURN THIS"
BARELY SMOLDERS
THEATER: THE PAIN OF "THE
PAIN OF MYBELLIGERENCE"...
THEATER: QUESTIONING
"SOCRATES"
THEATER: "OKLAHOMA!" IS
OK THE SECOND TIMEAROUND!...
THEATER: LESS IS MORE AT
"MRS. MURRAY'SMENAGERIE"...
THEATER: "THE CRADLE
WILL ROCK" PUTS YOU TOSLEEP
► March (5)
► February (1)
► January (5)
► 2018 (33)
► 2017 (6)
► 2016 (2)
► 2015 (17)
► 2014 (2)
► 2013 (5)
► 2012 (17)
► 2011 (15)
► 2010 (10)
► 2009 (43)
► 2008 (86)
► 2007 (781)
► 2006 (2412)
► 2005 (5)
organization. The kidnappers wanted Murdoch's wife but messed up.
Lamb sees a massive story and wouldn't they cover it if it were anyoneelse? He calls Murdoch a hypocrite for being fun with such coverageuntil it comes to one of their own. Again and again Lamb pushes theenvelope: printing the kidnapper's retort, a message from the
kidnapped wife and on and on. Murdoch objects. The staff objects.
Even the workers printing up the issue object. But Lamb won't bestopped.
This works fine but it's followed by the introduction of nude photos to
the paper, the tits and ass of a Page Three girl. While more time isspent on the agonizing kidnapping story, the scenes on doing a nudephoto feel drawn out and laborious. Even if turning a newspaper into
little more than Playboy was the final straw, it can't compare to the life
and death stakes that preceded it. The debate is dull, theembarrassment of Lamb played oh so seriously rather than perhapsmockingly as it might (the nerve of him) and well it just can't helpseeming a whole lot of nothing. Mind you, newspapers still don'tusually traffic in erotica, so yes, it was a remarkably crass tactic. But of
course it worked.
And the coda is worse, offering the usual hints about the future with
Murdoch saying Lamb has taught him the importance of television and
he's headed over to America.... Yes, yes, we know what comes next. No
need for any coyness, thank you very much. But the murky plottingtowards the end doesn't stop Ink from being a fun and involving show
with a very good cast, led by Carvel and most especially Jonny LeeMiller.
THEATER OF 2019
Frankenstein: Under The Radar Fest at the Public ** 1/2
Minor Character: Under The Radar Festival at the Public ***
Ink: Under The Radar Festival at the Public ** 1/2
Choir Boy ** 1/2
White Noise ** 1/2
Kiss Me, Kate ***
Ain't No Mo' *** 1/2
Ain't Too Proud **
The Cradle Will Rock * 1/2
Mrs. Murray's Menagerie *** 1/2
Oklahoma! (on Broadway) ** 1/2
Socrates **
The Pain Of My Belligerence *
Burn This **
Hadestown *** 1/2
All My Sons * 1/2
Tootsie ** 1/2
Ink ***
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the creator of BookFilter, a book
lover’s best friend. It’s a website that lets you browse for books online the
way you do in a physical bookstore, provides comprehensive info on new
releases every week in every category and offers passionate personal
recommendations every step of the way. He’s also the cohost of Showbiz
Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that reveals the industry take on
entertainment news of the day with top journalists and opinion makers as
guests. It’s available for free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website.
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called
Popsurfing and also available for free on iTunes.
POSTED BY MICHAEL GILTZ AT 6:11 PM
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