Corruption

In previous Lincoln Center Theater productions, J.T. Rogers has dramatized world events from the 1980s (Blood and Gifts, about Afghanistan) and the 1990s (Oslo, about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict). In this latest outing, he skips ahead to the 2011 phone-hacking scandal that rocked the U.K.'s media and political landscapes, exposing ethical and criminal misconduct in Rupert Murdoch's tabloid empire. The Off Broadway premiere reunites Rogers with LCT resident director Bartlett Sher, who helmed both previous plays. Toby Stephens (Die Another Day) plays British MP Tom Watson—whose book with Martin Hickman, Dial M for Murdoch, is the basis of the play—and Saffron Burrows is Murdoch exec Rebekah Brooks; the stacked supporting cast includes Dylan Baker, John Behlmann, K. Todd Freeman, Seth Numrich and Michael Siberry.