Bright Young Things discussion

A while ago I added a book to our New Discoveries thread about this book...

The Wipers Times: The Famous First World War Trench Newspaper by Chris Westhorp

Book Blurb: Decades ahead of the amusing but distorting buffoonery of Blackadder Goes Forth , this complete edition of the Wipers Times, the famed trench newspaper of the First World War, is an extraordinary mix of black humour, fake entertainment programmes and pastiche articles and constitutes a unique record of life in the wartime front line. From its long-running cartoon pun ( Are We Being Offensive Enough? ) to its brilliantly subversive column Things We Want to Know (The name of the officer who originated the idea), its hilarious spoof ads to its pastiche fake contributors (Belary Helloc), this complete facsimile edition of the Wipers Times, produced to accompany the BBC dramatization, is a historical masterpiece that enables us to sample the real spirit of the trenches . . . from the safety of our armchairs.

I can't remember if I watched the BBC adaptation but it is available to buy on various popular selling websites.

I just caught an interview on Sunday morning TV with Ian Hislop, who has just adapted it for the stage...it's playing in the West End from now until May. The stage play is also available...

The Wipers Times by Ian Hislop

Ian Hislop has said that, in essence, the Wipers Times was an early version of the Private Eye (a satirical/political magazine style publication here in the UK).

I vaguely remember that synopsis in New Discoveries. The movie is/was on Netflix here, and I keep meaning to watch but haven't yet. It sounds interesting.