SYNOPSIS IN ENGLISH

FIRST ACT

Music journalist Daniel Jackson and his girlfriend Klara Hornsby have recently moved to New York. Daniel works at Upbeat Magazine, a gossip rag, and Klara is still looking for a job. At the beginning of the play, Jackson has just got an assignment to write an article about the suicide of the rock star, Jimmy Andersson. Jimmy killed himself by jumping  from the twentieth storey of a skyscraper. Jackson finds it hard to understand how an artist at the pinnacle of his career could have done something so drastic. Conscious of the tight dead-line, Jackson concocts an article hinting that Jimmy, like many other rock stars, in fact fell prey to a conspiracy against artists who voice powerful political messages. His article attracts a huge amount of attention, not least from the bosses of I.O.N.U, a global media empire, which, along with other titles, owns Upbeat Magazine.

After the publication of his article “Shooting Star”, Jackson is called to a surprise meeting with Ray Blackburn, the chairman of the media group, and his zealous assistant Leo Ashcroft. Jackson is promised both money and power on the condition that “he does not stray from the script”. Equally unexpectedly, Klara lands a job at a large security firm where she quickly befriends career–driven Regina Jensen. Jackson is assigned to follow up the article about Jimmy’s death with a story on Jimmy’s good friend, pop star Chantal de Milo. The very same day, Jackson receives a surprise visit from a man who turns out to be the rapper Moz, believed to be dead, but who after his “death” actually went underground and became a street evangelist. He confirms that Jackson’s hunch about the conspiracy is in fact true, predicting that Chantal will be the next victim.

When Jackson meets Chantal for an exclusive interview she gives him several clues – and a passionate kiss. Jackson rejects Chantal’s advances, but wakes up the next day to find his picture plastered over newspaper billboards as Chantal’s secret lover. Klara goes ballistic and throws him out. Convinced that his hunch is the truth, he writes a few more articles reporting on the conspiracy and its methods: firstly, using the power of the media to drag the names of their victims through the mud and, secondly, leading them to destruction and killing them.Jackson’s articles never see the light of day. Ashcroft meets Regina and it turns out that Regina is spying on Klara for Blackburn and Ashcroft, the same men who are behind the papers’ vendetta against Daniel, whom the billboards have already promoted to Chantal’s drug pusher. Jackson realises that the men behind the conspiracy are after him, he gets frightened and flees

SECOND ACT

Chantal’s pop career remains untarnished as the hunt for Jackson continues. Jackson’s only refuge is Chantal’s place. Klara pursues him in a fit of jealousy but when she sees him being arrested by people from the security firm she begins to realise that he is a victim. She goes to see Regina and finds out that the security firm she works for is owned by I.O.N.U and that Regina has known the whole time that Jackson was under close surveillance. Regina decides to help Klara in her attempt to find Jackson. On CCTV they both witness Jackson being led into an interrogation room where Ashcroft shows his true colours: it is he who has been slinging mud at Jackson and wants to convince Jackson that he does not stand a chance against the power of the media.

However, Ashcroft is interrupted by Blackburn, the chairman. Blackburn reveals to Jacksoan the fact that he has hit a bull’s–eye in his investigation of the conspiracy theory. Tired of all the mystery–mongering, Blackburn now wants to get the truth out in the open by launching a new magazine, to be headed by Daniel Jackson. The power–crazy Ashcroft sees his future in ruins, he loses control and shoots Blackburn dead.

Regina and Klara have managed to crack the security codes, they witness the murder and manage to get a backup copy of the material. Ignorant of Blackburn’s death, Jackson goes to see Moz who has given Chantal a hiding place. The security men chase Jackson and manage to catch him and Chantal, who are both taken back to I.O.N.U, now headed by Ashcroft.

Ashcroft wants to eliminate both Jackson and Chantal and gives Chantal an overdose of heroin, intending to lay the blame for her murder on Jackson. But Regina and Klara, who have been following the events on CCTV, manage to stop him. Regina uses her feminine charms and promises Ashcroft something that he has been craving from her for a long time... Meanwhile, Klara manages to free Jackson and Chantal, who is in mortal danger. Regina and Ashcroft are playing a game with high stakes. Ashcroft still has an ace up his sleeve: he is about to distribute falsified TV–material in which Daniel Jackson, too, is exposed as one of the murderers. But Regina manages to replace the tape at the last minute, and in a global live broadcast TV viewers witness Ashcroft shooting Blackburn dead.

Ashcroft has lost and is plagued by journalists who are now on the quest for the Truth. Daniel, Klara and Chantal (who has miraculously survived the overdose) gather together at the launch of Daniel Jackson’s very own magazine ”Reality Check”. This grand event also provides the setting for Moz to officially rise from the dead. They celebrate life, truth and love – together with several dead pop–icons – and Klara and Daniel are reconciled with a kiss.