Review: THE INTERVIEW, Park Theatre

“Once said, once out, her words belong to all of us”

What role does a journalist play in telling the truth versus getting a good story? How does one find the line between the truth and an agreed narrative? Jonathan Maitland’s new play, The Interview, attempts to tackle these questions by taking a close look at the BBC Panorama interview with Princess Diana in 1995. Directed by Michael Fentiman, The Interview gives audiences insight into the motivations behind the interview, switching between the 1990s and the present. 

Tibu Fortes stars as Martin Bashir, the man responsible for the BBC Panorama interview in 1995 with Princess Diana (Yolanda Kettle). Matthew Flynn also takes centre stage as Paul Burrell, Diana’s former butler. Even though Fortes and Kettle are strong actors, the script often lets their performances down with an odd mix of leaving sentences unfinished and rushed dialogue that makes conversations difficult to follow. 

Emily Irish’s clever lighting lets the audience know when there is a switch in time and place, either by dimming the lights or shining them on particular characters. Sound by Barnaby Race is also used to indicate these changes but at times felt a bit too jarring, pulling the audience away from the quieter moments of the play as they are thrust into a new scene. 

Only a few moments are from the actual interview itself, including clips while Bashir and Steve Hewlett (Ciarán Owens) edit the footage from the Prince of Wales Suite in Eastbourne. The rest of the play is dialogue between characters with a few monologues being presented directly to the audience, typically performed by Paul, who is portrayed as easily swayed by praise in several moments. Throughout the show, there are references to people and places from the 1990s that might be difficult for younger audience members to understand, including a reference to Saturday Night Live’s impression of Barbara Walters, “Baba Wawa.”

The second act takes on a more philosophical tone, with Frederick and Owens taking on the roles of “Truth” and the “Accepted Narrative” respectfully, questioning Bashir on why he chose to falsify the bank statements that lead to the interview with Diana and insinuating that his actions may have been indirectly responsible for her death.

Having the philosophical debates at the beginning would have been much more interesting, pulling the audience into the mind of Bashir instead of introducing him like a stereotypical villain, twirling his invisible moustache and beaming with pride over his victory over Diana. Maitland seems to have clearly taken a side in the “Diana vs Bashir” debate, making it appear as though Diana was a naive young woman who was taken advantage of by a cold and calculating BBC journalist. 

Ultimately, The Interview makes some interesting points on the morality of journalism but struggles to answer the very questions it asks. There are points that could have been expanded upon instead of simply being referenced from time to time, like Bashir’s time as a religious affair correspondent for the BBC or Prince William condemning the Panorama interview. There is a running theme of facing the consequences of one’s own actions, but little on why these actions were made in the first place. 

The Interview runs at the Park Theatre until 25 November. 

Photo Credits: Pamela Raith

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