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How topical! Phone hacking satire starring Billie Piper as a tabloid news editor to open at the National Theatre

Published: 06:04 EST, 25 June 2014 | Updated: 08:04 EST, 25 June 2014

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A 'fast and furious' satire about phone hacking and the relationship between the press, police and politicians will open at the National Theatre on Monday starring Billie Piper as the news editor of a tabloid daily newspaper.

'No, she's not Rebekah Brooks,' emphasised Nicholas Hytner, the NT's Artistic Chief, when asked if Piper's character Paige Britain was based on Brooks the former News International chief executive who was cleared of phone hacking charges at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.

He added that Paige Britain will not have Mrs Brook's trademark tumbling red locks. He said Piper's hair would be much shorter.

The play's the thing: Billie Piper (left) will play a tabloid editor in Great Britain, who is not based on Rebekah Brooks, who was found not guilty of all charges in court on Tuesday

Richard Bean the playwright behind the comic hit One Man, Two Governors, started writing the satire, called Great Britain, over a year ago.

Rehearsals and workshops on the show began several months ago.

Hytner said the original intention had been for the play to open a week ago but the National was advised not to begin performances while the court case involving Brooks and Andy Coulson, David Cameron's former spin doctor continued.

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The Daily Mail reported back in April that all those involved with the play, including the cast, were asked to sign a non-disclosure document.

However, a handful of national newspaper journalists who advised Hytner and his ensemble were not asked to sign any legal documents concerned with keeping details of the show secret.

'We trusted them', Hytner said.

The play will open at London's National Theatre on the Southbank on Monday

Bean said that his play looks at the interactions of the press, police and politicians. 'Those three institutions are essentially in bed with each other and this threatens democracy', Bean stated.

However, he noted that 'there's quite a lot about decency' in the play.

The show will touch upon aspects of the MPs' expenses scandal, the treatment of Bristol landlord Christopher Jefferies, Madeleine McCann missing in Portugal and an exploration of the fallout from the Leveson inquiry into the culture, practice and ethics of the Press.

But Hytner stressed that the piece won't be all about dumping on the press.

Both the police and politicians will come in for some harsh treatment.

'I don't think the police come out of it particularly well, nor do the politicians,' Hytner explained.

Former News Of The World editor Rebekah and husband Charlie leaving the Old Bailey on Tuesday following their not guilty verdicts

Bean joked that many layers read the play and 'they thought it was very funny'.

He stressed that he hadn't been working with lawyers on the show, just that they had read it.

Joining Piper as Paige Britain, is Rupert Vansittart as Editor of fictional tabloid The Free Press and Jonathan Whey as a conservative prime minister.

'He's the fourth Whey,' said Hytner.

'He's the fourth generation of Whey's in politics,' he explained.

Dermot Crowley will play a fictional Irish newspaper owner called Pasqual O'Leary with Robert Glenister as Wilson Tikkel, a newspaper reporter. Oliver Chris has been cast as a high ranking Met officer.

Hytner said that he run a series of dress rehearsals of Great Britain before opening it to the public on Monday.

Theatre critics will also be invited to review Monday's opening night at the National's Lyttelton Theatre.