Abstract

This paper will explore how the faux verbatim format in The Assassination of Katie Hopkins is
used to expose sanctimony and the perceived authenticity of verbatim theatre. Chris Bush
and Matt Winkworth’s decision to use a faux verbatim style resonates on multiple levels,
exposing political hypocrisy and pointing to ethical problems with verbatim theatre itself.
Verbatim theatre is grounded in the apparently precise and objective use of real people’s
words to ‘disrupt the dominant ideology’s cultural certainties’ (Garson, 2015). Indeed, David
Hare has gone so far as to declare that verbatim theatre supplies what journalism fails to

provide – critical attention to oppressive social realities. Considered in the context of the post-
truth moment we are currently inhabiting, this theatrical genre purports to speak truths in a

swamp of fake news. However, verbatim theatre’s claim to present truth unmediated by
authorial interference is difficult to sustain, as, there is always an external influence shaping
the narrative and its reception. The authenticity of the verbatim mode is further complicated
when mixed with musical theatre. This paper will explore how Bush and Winkworth’s British
musical responds to the current political and cultural moment, deconstructing ideas of free
speech while fabricating an authentic narrative. It will unpick Sondheim’s oft quoted line that
‘content dictates form’ (Sondheim, 2010) to explore how you create a musical that can inhabit
the age of social media and bring the internet to life on stage.