Martin Fobert: Domino Through and Through
Martin Fobert is thrilled to be embarking on his third return to the theatre. A Kingston local, he has appeared in many Domino Theatre productions and is now starring as Leonard Vole in Domino’s gripping production of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I was always fascinated with acting, ever since I was a young kid. I watched a lot of television — which isn’t a hard thing to believe for a young child. One time when I was little, I remember asking my dad while watching Star Wars, “I understand this is not real. But where is this? Where do they get this footage from?” And he said, ”They’re just pretending. They’re acting.” And that just blew my mind.
I remember thinking, “They’re grownups, though. They’re adults. Adults can pretend?” And from that day forth, I enjoyed movies and TV, but I was — even as a child — watching. I was always aware that these people were pretending and I always thought that was really neat.
In high school, I did drama, was in plays, and joined the improv club because I didn’t have to memorize lines. That’s why I joined the improv club. I really enjoyed it. Many years later, I saw an old friend of mine in a Domino Theater play. I spoke to her after the show, and she said to me, “You always enjoyed acting in high school, why don’t you audition for a show?”
I thought, “That’s a good point. Why don’t I audition? That’s a great idea.” And I’ve been acting ever since.
When you’re not on stage, what kinds of plays or performances do you most enjoy watching?
When it comes to other media that I like to watch, the truth is, nowadays I’m not big on watching television so much. But when I do decide to watch a movie or TV show, I watch it closely. A very good movie, with a good director, every frame, every word, every decision means something.
But to give you a specific answer: when I was 16, in high school and doing theatre, my dad got tickets to see the Phantom of the Opera at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. You probably experienced that feeling when you go see a movie or go see a play. You carry that feeling with you. It was just amazing. I wish I could be an opera singer just so I can maybe audition for this someday, but I think that’s a little out of my league for now.
Are there any artists, creators, or pieces of media that have shaped your approach to acting?
Yes, every single one. Every director I’ve worked with, every actor I’ve worked with. I want to give a shout out to stage managers because they often get overlooked. Stage managers are extremely important, I’ve learned all sorts of stuff from them.
I learned from Ian Malcolm all about voice. I learned from Claudia Wade how important a character’s movement is. I’ve watched other actors perform and learned by observing. I’ve been to a few festivals where they have adjudicators, and I might gripe sometimes about adjudicators, a lot of actors do, because unless they tell you you’re better than Marlon Brando, you’re not going to like what the adjudicator says. But even they have given me good feedback.
As one of the main actors, what themes or elements of your character did you most want to highlight?
That’s what really attracted me to the character of Leonard Vole. He’s the one standing on trial for murder. He’s being accused. Is he telling the truth? Is he lying? Or maybe he’s the one being lied to? Or maybe some of what he says is true and some of what he says is lies. Or maybe he’s an idiot and he’s been a complete victim this entire time.
It’s your classic courtroom drama. Throughout the whole show, I want the audience second-guessing, and triple-guessing, and saying, “No, this guy’s as innocent as a schoolboy,” and other people saying, “This guy is a lunatic.”
That’s the challenge about this production. Every single word that Agatha Christie wrote is important. So I can’t say what I’m highlighting really, because I guess you have to watch until the end to find out.
And what excites you most about sharing Witness for the Prosecution with your community?
Doing a Domino Theatre show, with the community. I give everyone involved a ton of credit, because it is a big commitment. It takes a lot of time. There’s a saying in theatre that I always want to put it on a t-shirt that says, “I can’t, I have rehearsal.” With this show, we got an amazing set and great talent, some Domino Theatre regulars, locals, people from all over the world, and people of all ages.
It is a top-notch non-profit registered charity putting on community theatre that’s 100% run by volunteers. It’s here in Kingston. Domino’s been running for over 70 years. There are amazing shows happening right under our nose, right here in Kingston. And because it’s run by passion, you get really good quality. That’s what I’m looking forward to sharing with everyone.
What do you hope audiences leave thinking or feeling after watching this production?
I hope that they’re going to leave talking. It’s going to be one of those shows people walk out of saying, “I could have sworn so-and-so was guilty! I could have sworn this person did it! I changed my mind many times! I was so convinced of this!” They’re going to talk and talk. That is what I’m hoping for.
You’ve probably watched movies like this or been to shows like this. You can watch it a second time, go back and watch it a third time. You can go back again and again and all the stuff people are saying, all of a sudden, start to have different meanings. Agatha Christie’s a brilliant writer in that way. This play is filled with so many different layers. Every little thing has a purpose. I want people to leave talking, discussing with their friends what they thought. I want them to think, “Oh my god, I want to see it again, knowing now what I know.”
Martin Fobert is a lifelong Kingston resident and passionate member of the local theatre community. He has performed in many productions with Domino Theatre including ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’, and ‘Letters in Wartime’. His work has ranged from Shakespeare, including the lead in the Scottish Play, to educational theatre for children that he writes and performs, stand-up comedy, and murder mystery dinner theatre.
‘Witness for the Prosecution’ premieres at Domino Theatre, running from Oct 16-Nov 1, 2025. More information can be found here.
