Frost/Nixon at Redtwist Theatre

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...While Brian Perry bears little physical resemblance to Nixon, he nails the timbre and cadence of the man's voice, so by the middle of the show he inhabits him almost completely. Brandon Wardell's extensive use of shadows in his lighting design heightens Perry's transformation. The rest of the cast is top-notch as well, with Adam Bitterman as both Swifty Lazar and Mike Wallace a particular standout."

Windy City Times - Highly Recommended

"...Under the direction of Scott Weinstein, a cast led by Jason Richards as the sybaritic Frost and Brian Parry ( whose visual and aural approximation of his persona is nothing short of uncanny ) as the calculating Nixon deliver exemplary ensemble acting, as well as likewise uncaricatured physical replications of their real-life counterparts, even to individual regional accents. Despite a running time of 105 intermissionless minutes and our knowing the outcome from the start, the electricity in the snug storefront room engenders suspense-holding our attention right up to an epilogue being written to this day."

Chicago On the Aisle - Highly Recommended

"...On Aug. 9, 1974, Richard M. Nixon became the first president of the United States to resign from office, rather than face almost certain impeachment and removal after the Watergate scandal. But doggedly insisting that "I'm not a crook," he never admitted to wrong-doing - until three years later, in a most improbable interview with British talk show host David Frost. That's the setup of Peter Morgan's 2006 play "Frost/Nixon," which Redtwist Theatre has brought to its compact space with Brian Parry as Nixon, up close and amazing."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...I have seen this play done before. In fact, Timeline did a spectacular production several years ago with one of my favorite actors, Terry Hamilton in the role of Nixon. I have watched Brian Parry play many a role at Redtwist and watching him take on this role was a surprise and a delight. He was masterful at making the real character come to life. Parry’s David Frost, Jason Richards ( a newcomer to Redtwist) does a very credible job playing this young man. His wig might work better in a larger venue, but being as close as we are to the actors in this space, it is difficult to hide the fact that he was indeed wearing one. His brilliant acting overcame this silly problem very quickly."

Picture This Post - Highly Recommended

"...From this reviewer’s perspective, the brilliant touches in this production pile on to leave admirers of live performance breathless. For one, the slightly time-delayed broadcast of the interview, giving a steady close-up view of Nixon’s gestures (Technical Director Buzz Leer) is a non-stop showcase of Parry’s fine-tuned Nixon impersonation. How perfect that the minimal set in Redtwist’s small space reminds of how we all took in history in the intimacy of our living rooms (Scenic Design: Jeffrey D. Kmiec)."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...There is an undeniable trend in today's theater to seek relevance between any presented play and our current messed up political reality. Sometimes the link is obvious (as in Paramount's recent production of "Cabaret"). Other times we labor a bit too hard to make the connection. In this case, however, the relevance is obvious, as Trump often resembles nothing more than a lesser Nixon (as evident by his recent ramblings on Fox & Friends). Though it seems unlikely though that our current president will ever come close to confessing his political sins."