British Prime Minister Tony Blair faces trial by theater and television as he prepares to step down and the debate over his role in the Iraq war intensifies.

London's Tricycle Theater, 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 defense. 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.

Channel 4 in Britain will also broadcast The Trial of Tony Blair on its digital channel More4 on January 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 website.

"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 US 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 US box office.

Source: China Daily/agencies