Review: Best of Enemies at the Noël Coward Theatre, London
On Sunday night, I returned home from an extremely stagey weekend in London in which I saw 5 different shows in slightly under 48 hours. It was absolutely bonkers and utterly brilliant. I’m working as fast as I can to get all the reviews out (my review of Paradise Now and my not-a-review of Come From Away’s closing night went live yesterday.)
On Saturday afternoon, I went to see the much-talked-about and highly critically acclaimed production of James Graham’s new play Best of Enemies, currently playing at the Noël Coward Theatre.
What’s it about?
It’s 1968 and the world’s biggest political race is underway as each of the two major parties select their candidates to run for President of the United States. Meanwhile, though, America’s eyes are on two other men: right-wing conservative commentator and National Review founder William F. Buckley, and liberal, bisexual author and intellectual Gore Vidal.
In a new format conceived by the ABC Television Network in a quest for ratings, these two polar opposites square off in a series of increasingly heated televised debates that will forever change the political media landscape.
Any content warnings?
Best of Enemies deals with an array of issues such as racism, civil rights, and gay rights. Violence is discussed and in one scene, police clash violently with protestors. There’s also some strong language. The word “queer” is used as the deeply offensive slur it would have been in the 1960s.
Strobe is used and characters smoke on stage.
The official guidance suggests the play is suitable for ages 12+, but I’d hesitate to take anyone younger than about 16 unless they have a keen interest in the subject matter.
Best of Enemies: My Review
I went into Best of Enemies knowing very little about the story or the real events that inspired it, and I suspect that was true for many members of the audience. No-one under the age of about 65 will have personal recollections of these events, and many in the UK may never have heard of Vidal and Buckley before. While a little background knowledge will undoubtedly be useful, it’s easy enough to follow - and enjoy - this excellent play without it.
Graham makes use of verbatim dialogue taken from the real debates, then fleshes it out with imagined and reconstructed scenes to round out the characters and story. It’s a risky writing strategy, but it pays off, and Buckley and Vidal’s off-camera personalities feel aligned with their TV personas.
Best of Enemies stars two well-known actors. David Harewood, with an extensive list of theatre credits as well as TV and film appearances including Hustle, Dr. Who, Homeland, Supergirl, and Mad Dogs and Englishmen, plays Buckley. Zachary Quinto, best known for his role as Spock in the Star Trek reboot films and his Critics’ Choice Award-winning appearance in American Horror Story: Asylum, makes his West End debut as Vidal.
Harewood’s Buckley is beautifully observed, embodying many of the man’s more subtle mannerisms. Quinto’s Vidal is sardonic and quick-witted, not always likeable (even if you agree with many of his stances), but always compelling. Together, they are theatrical dynamite, their characters’ mutual dislike strangely electrifying to watch. We see their careful, cool exteriors slowly ebb away until the explosive final moments of their last debate, when anger gets the better of both of them.
David Harewood (left) and Zachary Quinto in Best of Enemies. Photo: Johan Persson
Best of Enemies is at its strongest in the scenes where Buckley and Vidal face off against each other. The other scenes are entertaining, giving us a glimpse into each of the men’s private lives and the wider political landscape, but the heart of this production is two men who hate each other going head to head. We see flashes in which they actually attempt to listen to one another, which ultimately descends into the slur-slinging, name-calling debacle that anyone who has seen contemporary political TV will recognise.
Other performers take on the roles of notable figures from the period, including James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jr, Andy Warhol, and Aretha Franklin (Deborah Alli gets a brief chance to show off her gorgeous singing voice as the latter.) Syrus Lowe is memorable and moving as Dr King and Baldwin.
David Harewood (seated) with members of the Best of Enemies cast. Photo: Johan Persson
Bunny Christie’s set is clever and creative, essentially a giant television set. Three raised boxes form sometimes the TV executives’ offices and at other times screens onto which the actors’ faces are projected as they debate. This allows us to experience the nuances of their facial expressions and mannerisms no matter where in the auditorium we are seated.
Max Spielbichler’s video design makes use of actual footage from the period, lending authenticity and strengthening the connection between the Vidal/Buckley debates and events such as the Vietnam War, the Presidential election, and the continuing struggle for racial equality. Sound is also crucial to the success of this production, with Tom Gibbons’ evocative sound design helping to bring the late 1960s to life.
Tom Godwin as Bobby Kennedy with members of the Best of Enemies cast. Photo: Johan Persson
Like the two figures at its centre, Best of Enemies is an intelligent play with something to say, and in 2023 - in which televised (or live-streamed) slanging matches are so much a part of politics - it’s a message we sorely need to hear. But far from uninspired moralising, it’s also a gripping two-and-a-half hours of drama.
Where to get tickets
Best of Enemies will play at the Noël Coward Theatre until 18 February 2023. Tickets are available from the official website or from reputable London theatre vendors.