Britain's Blair faces trial by theatre and TV

LONDON, Jan 10 (Reuters) British Prime Minister Tony Blair faces trial by theatre and television as he prepares to step down and the debate over his role in the Iraq war intensifies.

London's Tricycle Theatre, with a reputation for political plays based on real-life trials and inquiries, is staging ''Called to Account: The Indictment of Anthony Charles Lynton Blair for the Crime of Aggression Against Iraq - a Hearing''.

The play will be based on a debate between two leading British lawyers -- Philippe Sands for the prosecution and Julian Knowles for the defence. Both belong to the same law practice as Blair's wife, Cherie Booth.

They will examine witnesses including parliamentarians, diplomats, UN officials, lawyers and intelligence experts.

Richard Norton-Taylor, a journalist at London's Guardian newspaper, will condense the transcript from the lawyers' debate into a play, which will run from April 19 to May 19.

Director Nicolas Kent is considering asking the audience to vote on whether the indictment of the title is proven.

''We may ask the audience to vote on a possible indictment before the play begins and afterwards, having heard the evidence,'' Kent said.

''The aim is to broaden the debate about whether we should have gone to war with Iraq and whether the invasion was a form of aggression, and also how far international law runs.'' Kent said the British public and parliamentarians were still angry with Blair's decision to join the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

As violence there continues unabated, scrutiny of the justification for the war and its legality is unlikely to go away in Britain, particularly as Blair prepares to hand over the leadership of the country after a decade in power.

''FICTION OR PREDICTION?'' Channel 4 in Britain will also broadcast ''The Trial of Tony Blair'' on its digital channel More4 on Jan. 15.

Starring Robert Lindsay in the title role, the political satire imagines a future in which Gordon Brown, favourite to replace Blair as prime minister, has taken over the running of the country while Blair faces trial for war crimes.

''I gather Mr. Blair is very concerned about his place in history,'' said writer Alistair Beaton on Channel 4's Web site.

''This film is my idea of where that place might be. Whether it's fiction of prediction remains to be seen.'' Channel 4 was also behind ''Death of a President'', a film in which U.S. President George W. Bush is assassinated. That picture led to protests in the United States and death threats against its director, but flopped at the U.S. box office.

Tricycle's Kent said that the theatre's verbatim plays have reached an audience of over 25 million through transfers to London's West End, playhouses abroad and television and radio adaptations.

He believes theatre has a political role, despite the argument that ''Called to Account'' is going over well-trodden ground.

He quoted from the Butler report of 2004, which examined the intelligence used by Britain to justify war in Iraq.

It said that ''as in the search for weapons in Iraq, one can never do too much digging.'' Kent added: ''I would suggest that the theatre is doing a little more digging.'' REUTERS VD ND0830