It’s 1979: gas is 27 cents a litre, disco is king, a peanut farmer runs the White House, cell phones are science fiction, and the Internet is a secret handshake between computers in university basements.
And in Ottawa, a 39‑year‑old Joe Clark is about to discover that being Canada’s youngest prime minister in history is the easy part – keeping the job while keeping his integrity is another story.
That’s the premise behind 1979, the Belfry Theatre’s sharp political comedy by Michael Healey. Although written in 2017 and set more than four decades ago, the play draws a straight line to today’s political tensions – and invites unavoidable comparisons to the Trump era.
Clark faces a pack of political heavyweights – Pierre Trudeau, John Crosbie, Flora MacDonald – each offering advice before a budget vote almost certain to topple his government. Stephen Harper appears too, first as a young office clerk and later as a sitting prime minister.
“Joe Clark refuses to compromise his morals, even if it means he’s doomed to fail.”
One of the play’s most surreal touches sees Pierre Trudeau wielding a chainsaw that was given to him, which director Glynis Leyshon says has some resonance in today’s political imagery.
“We’re so inundated with a two‑party system of extremes that the idea of a minority government or more than one party is almost foreign,” Leyshon says.
“Clearly, Trump has no idea how Canadian politics are even structured – and shockingly, many Canadians don’t either.”
The discussion about leadership feels even more urgent today, with global politics dominated by personality-driven theatrics. Canada’s own minority government context, she adds, makes Clark’s struggle to balance survival with principle feel pointedly familiar.
“The world changed so drastically – triggered by the pandemic and political shifts everywhere, especially in the U.S.,” Leyshon says.
At the core is a compelling study of integrity in leadership. “What drives them to make the decisions they do – whether to survive and win, or to do the right thing with a moral compass that may not always be fashionable – is a really important discussion,” she says. “Joe Clark refuses to compromise his morals, even if it means he’s doomed to fail.”
In this cast, Nathan Howe plays Joe Clark, supported by Jay Hindle and Luisa Jojic, who take on multiple political roles.
For Leyshon, the play’s message stretches beyond satire or nostalgia. “It’s not about saying, ‘Here’s the lesson.’ It’s about stimulating conversation – that’s what theatre does best.”
1979 runs Sept. 9 to Oct. 5, at the Belfry Theatre. For tickets and more details, visit belfry.bc.ca/event/1979
