Yellowknife (Nov 10/06) - A Canadian legend sprung back to life this week at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre.

For two blistering nights, visiting actor John Nolan portrayed Saskatchewan premier, member of parliament and social democratic trailblazer Tommy Douglas in Arrows of Desire.

Nolan took the stage with the wit, humour and rancour of the "father of Medicare," opening with a joking discussion of "young George" and "that Great Canadian thing," referring to Douglas's selection as the "Greatest Canadian" in 2004.

The play mixed biography, lecture and flights of fancy as it jumped between Douglas's recollections of his life, loves and career; his political battles and tribulations; and broad literary strokes, painting his life with allusions and pieces from Alfred Noyes's The Highwayman and folk song Sir Andrew Barton.

The latter came as Douglas fell, battered and bruised, in his first federal election: "I am hurt, but I am not slain; /I'll lay me down and bleed a while, /And then I'll rise and fight again."

The play brought the ugliest sides of war and depression to light, drawing on Douglas's most incendiary speeches from the periods. These focused on the poverty, sorrow, war mongering, war profiteering and immorality that crept along the fringes of history.

"We can produce in abundance to destroy our enemies," Nolan recited.

"A true democracy clothes, feeds, houses and provides for all of its people all of the time."

While the play occasionally stepped over the line from tribute to aggrandizement, it remained as true to the source as it could, considering the actor involved.

After the play closed, Nolan returned to the stage to field questions about the play and Tommy Douglas.

During this session, Nolan made his admiration for his subject clear, as he was unable to answer a question about Douglas's flaws.

"He was a giant," Nolan said. "Tommy Douglas was ahead of his time. He's ahead of our time."

It was a rare and fitting moment, which brushed aside the artificial barriers that separate performer and audience - a town hall meeting replacing a top-down lecture.

After all, wasn't that what Douglas's movement was all about?