Dick Deterred

by David Edgar

A PLAY IN TWO ACTS

1 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

David Edgar is an English playwright. He was born in Birmingham into a family with longstanding links to the theatre. His father and mother both acted at the Birmingham Rep before moving into broadcasting, and by the age of five Edgar had written his first play and performed it in a 12 seat theatre his father built for him in his back garden.

From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ed...

Reviews

[Manny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A goat! A goat! My kingdom for a scapegoat!

Nearly 40 years after Watergate, this brilliant Shakespearian parody is still funny. The basic joke is to cast Richard Nixon as Richard III. It fits very well, though Edgar is also happy to adapt quotes from other plays when he has a chance. He clearly loves Shakespeare as much as he hates Nixon, which is a great combination. Some quotes to give you the flavor of the thing:

Opening lines:

Now is this winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this Texan bum
And all the crowds who never dodged the draft
Deserting are the bosoms of Saigon
Our brows now bound with wreaths of compromise
Our bruised armies are demobilized
Our napalm bombs are changed to Paris meetings
Our My Lai massacres to diplomatic measures
But I, that am not shaped for aught but tricks
Nor made to court an amorous CBS
I that am rudely stamped, and want capacity
To strut before a wanton East Coast liberal...

Richard has just conquered the heart of Anne, a Republican cheerleader, and secured the nomination:

Was ever party in this humor woo'd?
Was ever party in this humor won?
I do mistake my person all this while:
Upon my life, she finds, although I cannot
Myself to be a marv'llous proper man!
I'll be at charges for a looking-glass
And entertain a score of sycophants
To tell me what a super chap I am
Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass!
I'll watch my face while others kiss my ass.

From Clarence's dream, a nasty confrontation between hippies and the forces of law and order:

... but then this peaceful scene
Was banished by the coming of the fuzz
Their ID badges all disguised or lost
Armed to the teeth, and bulbous with protection
As if accoutred for a football game
Or wand'ring midst the mountains of the Moon

One of Dick's horrified aides describes material on the tapes:

Here's details of a vile and filthy scheme
To further dredge the mud of Chappaquiddick
By gigolos seducing maidens chaste
That ever lived with Mary Jo Kopechne!

Scene from Macbeth that somehow snuck in:

When shall we three meet again?
In San Clemente or in Key Biscayne?

Ditto Hamlet:

Alas, poor Spiro!
Agnew him well