One Rogue Reporter

Like the initial sentence of a good tabloid story, the first two minutes of Rich Peppiatt’s show tells you everything you need to know about what will follow. The ex-Daily Star journalist splices together a montage of tabloid editors giving evidence at the Leveson inquiry into press ethics. Their words are used selectively, taken out of context, edited together for maximum drama and minimum accuracy. Like a hack double-agent, Peppiatt is using the tabloid’s techniques against themselves. He knows the dark arts well.

In his two years at the paper his stunts included proposing to Susan Boyle, dressing in a burka, and flashing his underwear at Muslim women. Then in a fit of frustration and self-loathing, he quit. 18 months later his mea culpa has taken the form of this show: a series of monologues and tabloid video stunts against some of the red tops' worst offenders. Peppiatt is a likeable but not natural live performer. He is not helped by what sounds like a hastily written script. A five minute section taking the piss out of an overwrought piece of celebrity fluff from the Mail Online feels as satisfying as shooting fish in a barrel. Or cross-examining tabloid editors at a public inquiry. It’s much of a muchness these days.

Despite this, the hour is several notches above the rantings of disgruntled former employee, thanks to its topicality and most of all the videos. The muck-raking sting featuring Kelvin MacKenzie, former editor of The Sun and latter-day hammer of the Scots and Scousers, is worth not only the ticket price, but several tabloid news stories alone.