“Could not be more timely... takes us into the heart of 10 Downing Street” —WhatsOnStage
“A cracking play... This is no vicious attack on politics; it is a very human story of a very human man – and we want him to win.” —The Public Reviews
A fiercely funny look at the rocky relations between our press and politicians in a world of spin doctors and Leveson Inquiries.
Michael is moving into 10 Downing Street and there will be no charm offensives with this Prime Minister, not with a country to run. There’s no time for lunches with the press while there are children living in poverty. And there’s certainly no time to comment on a minister’s illicit affair while the country needs more nurses.
But when his family’s private life looks set to be the next big story, Michael seeks help from a press secretary who advises, 'Feed the beast before it turns on you.' Can Michael keep politics centre stage or will he become the big story himself?
Feed the Beast premiered at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in April 2015.
Steve Thompson is a writer whose plays include Damages (Bush Theatre, 2005), Whipping It Up (Bush Theatre & West End, 2006/07), Roaring Trade (Paines Plough/Soho Theatre, 2009), No Naughty Bits (Hampstead Theatre, 2011) and Feed the Beast (Birmingham Rep/New Wolsey Theatre, 2015). He has written for TV shows including Sherlock (BBC/Hartswood), Doctor Who (BBC) and Silk (BBC).