Before adapting it to film in 2008, Peter Morgan wrote Frost/Nixon as a play in 2006. It is based on the 1977 interviews between David Frost and Nixon that were broadcast on national television to the largest TV audience ever for a news interview. The interviews set a precedent for exposés in journalism and changed the face of politics with Nixon’s personal revelations and discussion of Watergate.
Ensemble Theatre Company presents Frost/Nixon this summer at Jericho Arts Centre, and Artistic Director Tariq Leslie said those who are familiar with the film will see “the same story, but very different performances.” Michael Robinson takes on the role of the besmirched former president, while Leslie sits across from him as Frost.
“You can create filmic scenes in the theatre,” said Leslie, explaining that they are going back to the roots of storytelling and that, in the theatre, “the story and performance has to be king.” Watching these interviews on stage as opposed to on film creates a different dynamic, and with the live audience, explained Leslie, “there’s more of a chance to be clever on stage.”
The production will give the feeling of being in a live studio audience, with seats on all four sides of the theatre and the farthest seat only about five feet from the actors. With the configuration of the stage and audience, Leslie said he views it as akin to a boxing match. “These interviews were to politics, in terms of journalism, what the Ali–Foreman rumble was to boxing,” he said.
The stage design does a good job of recreating the era of the 1970s, said Leslie, but he laughed, saying “It makes one feel old that a play set in an era when you were growing up is now a period piece.” But that was a very different era. As Leslie said, “TV hadn’t become as savvy; politicians weren’t as aware of the power of TV.”
The interviews didn’t go as planned for Nixon and his advisors, and many didn’t expect Frost to be a shrewd interviewer. “Frost was thought to be outperformed,” said Leslie, “but they were each using their own skill sets.” In that sense, the interviews are a battle of wits, and it is very interesting to see what resulted when guards were let down and the truth was set free.
The three plays that Ensemble is presenting this summer (’Tis Pity She’s a Whore and The Children’s Hour being the other two) have some connecting themes according to Leslie: truth, lies, and consequences. Frost/Nixon also deals heavily with abuses of power.
“The Canadian equivalent of Nixon is our Prime Minister,” said Leslie, explaining that “unless we move towards a utopian world, these themes will be relevant.” That being said, it’s hard to imagine Harper participating in a similar interview, especially given his unwillingness to even participate in the primary leader’s debate. When asked whether he thinks these kinds of lengthy interviews would happen in this day and age, Leslie said, “Could I see it happening? Yes. With [Harper]? No. I’d be shocked.”
Politics is one of those timeless themes that make a play relevant long after its era, and Frost/Nixon is a must-see classic for anyone interested in journalism or politics.
Frost/Nixon is presented by Ensemble Theatre Company from July 17 to August 7 at Jericho Arts Centre. For more information, visit ensembletheatrecompany.ca.
