Lucy Punch stars in West End Great Britain

Lucy Punch will take over from Billie Piper as Paige Britain for the West End transfer of Great Britain.

Richard Bean's satire, which premiered at the National Theatre last month, takes a wide-ranging swipe at the press, police and political establishment in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.

Paige Britain is the ambitious young news editor of The Free Press, a tabloid newspaper locked in a never-ending battle for more readers.

Lucy Punch's previous theatre credits include Boy Gets Girl for the Royal Court, A Carpet, A Pony, and A Monkey for the Bush Theatre and The Graduate in the West End.

Her many film credits include You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Hot Fuzz, St Trinian's, Bad Teacher and the upcoming Into The Woods.

She'll be joined in Great Britain by Ben Mansfield (Relative Values), taking over from Oliver Chris as a rising star policeman.

Reprising their roles from the National are: Sarah Annis, Ross Boatman, Robert Calvert, William Chubb, Dermot Crowley, Jo Dockery, Robert Glenister, Ian Hallard, James Harkness, Scott Karim, Barbara Kirby, Nicholas Lumley, Maggie McCarthy, Iain Mitchell, Miles Mitchell, Aaron Neil, Nick Sampson, Kellie Shirley, Kiruna Stamell, Harriet Thorpe, Rupert Vansittart, Joseph Wilkins and Andrew Woodall.

Directed by Nicholas Hytner, Great Britain continues at the NT Lyttelton until 23 August and opens at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on 26 September 2014 (previews from 9 September) for a strictly limited run to 10 January 2015.

It's designed by Tim Hatley, with video design by 59 Productions, lighting by Neil Austin, music by Grant Olding and sound by Paul Arditti.