REVIEW: Frost/Nixon, Melbourne Theatre Company, Melbourne

Originally posted on the Arts Hub website. By Rita Dimasi. Frost/Nixon is placed post-Watergate, after Richard Nixon’s downfall. Nixon at the end of his controversial and corrupt reign was a bitter man. Impatient with the growing perception that he had tarnished the presidency and betrayed the American people, Nixon is presented as a man torn between his ability and determination to “dodge the bullet” and a man compelled to confess his transgressions. British talk show host David Frost on the other hand was at the peak of his international career as an interviewer and television personality. A highly social animal, Frost similarly comes across as a man anxious to leave his mark on history above and beyond the talk show arena. At a time when political journalists were vying to interview Nixon, David Frost was chosen by Nixon’s advisors because he was seen as a soft option, and an easy way for Nixon to write his epilogue, so to speak. Meanwhile Frost, so confident in his success and fame, couldn’t imagine not being able to pull off one of the most wanted interviews of modern time. In Frost/Nixon these two narcissistic characters come together to joust, and in the end create an unforgettable moment in American political history – where a politician finally accounts for himself, if perhaps fleetingly. Frost/Nixon is touted as a “fast-paced” play by Peter Morgan (The Queen, The Last King of Scotland), and will soon be released as a film (Dec 2008) directed by Ron Howard. Not surprisingly, the Peter Morgan script is compelling. We see Nixon and Frost and their key advisors working strategically to gain the higher ground in an effort to cement their place in history. The audience is given glimpses of both the caricature and the human being behind these two enormous personalities. This MTC production has pulled all the elements of this historical moment together. The set, the lighting, the costumes, the music and “the chat” throw us easily into 1970s America. An actor’s challenge when speaking with a different accent for any role is always that – a challenge - and success comes when a local audience sees past the accent to the words spoken. Generally the MTC cast of Frost/Nixon worked hard to reach this point, but on occasion, some of the secondary characters’ American accents faltered. Marshall Napier is, however, excellent as Nixon. It is perhaps difficult to take on the role of a famous historical figure and not fall into caricature. Napier however manages to allow the audience to enjoy Nixon’s “big” personality as well as see into the emptiness of a man now abandoned by a nation he had deceived. However John Adam, who played David Frost, seemed sometimes constrained by the man’s famous traits. His gestures, his speech, the polite, impassive face Frost became known for using during interviews. These are all, without doubt, elements of the man, but I was also keen to see behind the caricature to the character that put a significant amount of his own money into a project that initially looked to become a huge error of judgment and could have possibly destroyed David Frost’s career entirely. Yalin Ozucelik as John Birt – Frost’s British colleague and advisor and Neil Pigot as Jack Brennan – Nixon’s military counterpoint, both should also be mentioned – providing some key insights into the efforts and goals of these two men.