Ink by Amber Wilkinson
Danny Boyle is channeling his customary energy into a new adaptation, bringing his own stage play to life in a way that moves with the speed of a printing press.
This project dives deep into the fascinating, often turbulent history of media creation, tracing the trajectory of Rupert Murdoch’s ambition in shaping the British press. At the heart of this narrative is the story of Albert “Larry” Lamb, a sharp-witted Yorkshireman who initially started his career working for the Daily Mail in Manchester.
When Lamb entered the world of publishing, he spotted an opportunity to create something distinctly different. He was given remarkable freedom by Murdoch to shape a new vision, even while navigating the complex realities of commercial demands.
The pressure was immense. When Lamb took the helm of The Sun, the title was widely regarded as a commercial failure, selling only 650,000 copies. This figure served as a stark reminder of the wider decline in newspaper readership.
This shift highlighted the broader trend in the media landscape. By 2026, the Daily Mail had firmly cemented its position as the UK’s best-selling newspaper, achieving a circulation of about 620,000 copies, demonstrating the dramatic shifts in the power of print media over time.
Despite the substantial rewards—including a healthy salary and a Jaguar—Lamb found himself with virtually no time to focus on further recruitment, illustrating the high-stakes balance between artistic vision and commercial necessity. The story reveals the tightrope walk between creative freedom and the relentless pursuit of circulation figures that defined the era.
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