Best of Enemies (play)

Best of Enemies is a political drama play by James Graham. It premiered at the Young Vic, London in December 2021,[1] and the playscript was published Methuen in collaboration with the theatre and Headlong.[2]

Best of Enemies
Written byJames Graham
CharactersWilliam F. Buckley Jr.
Gore Vidal
Date premieredDecember 2021
Place premieredYoung Vic, London
SubjectPolitics
GenreDrama

Plot

The play features a fictionalised retelling of the 1968 ABC TV debates between William F. Buckley Jr. and Gore Vidal, which take place during the Republican and Democratic Party conventions. Graham was inspired by a documentary film on the subject by Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon.[3]

The play also contains other celebrities from the time such as David Brinkley, Andy Warhol, James Baldwin, and Aretha Franklin. They are used to set context and reflect the theme of how TV debates emerged in this period and have developed.

Reception

The play received universal critical acclaim. The Times praised the play as a 'raw, exciting and timely piece about how we have forgotten how to listen to each other'.[4] James Graham was described by Time Out as a playwright 'on top of his game',[5] while The Guardian's Mark Lawson argued that 'he stands with [Aaron] Sorkin as our best dramatic interpreters of the interplay of media and politics'.[6]

The premiere cast was led by David Harewood as Buckley and Charles Edwards as Vidal, which provoked debate around Harewood's colour-blind casting. Lawson supported the choice in The Guardian, commenting that 'as a means of equalising opportunity for actors, there is no reasonable argument against racially fluid casting'.[6] Clive Davis went further in The Times, adding 'It’s a clever touch to have Buckley — no friend of the civil rights movement — played by a black actor. Harewood’s presence undermines the liberal preconceptions of the audience'.[4]

In 2022, the production received two Olivier Award nominations, for Best New Play and Best Actor for Edwards, and won the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best New Play.[7][8]

The play transferred to the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End in November 2022, with Zachary Quinto taking over the role of Gore Vidal.[9][10]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominee Result
2022 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Play Nominated
Best Actor Charles Edwards Nominated
Critics’ Circle Theatre Award Best New Play James Graham Won

References
  1. "Best of Enemies". Young Vic website. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  2. GRAHAM, JAMES (2021). BEST OF ENEMIES. [S.l.]: BLOOMSBURY METHUEN DRAMA. ISBN 978-1-350-32430-5. OCLC 1286312401.
  3. "Best of Enemies: Buckley vs. Vidal". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. Davis, Clive. "Best of Enemies review — James Graham's captivating drama is raw and timely". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  5. "Playwright James Graham has done it again with the ★★★★★ 'Best of Enemies'". Time Out London. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  6. "Best of Enemies review – James Graham's superb study of media and politics". the Guardian. 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  7. Yossman, K. J. (2022-03-08). "Eddie Redmayne, Jessie Buckley and Emma Corrin Nominated for Olivier Awards 2022". Variety. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  8. Frost, Caroline (2022-04-03). ""Cabaret" Takes Top Honors At Critics Circle Theatre Awards: Jessie Buckley, Ben Daniels, Cush Jumbo Win Acting Prizes". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  9. Wood, Alex (2022-09-07). "James Graham's Best of Enemies to transfer to the West End". What's On Stage. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
  10. Thomas, Tobi (2022-09-05). "Zachary Quinto to star in West End production of Best of Enemies". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
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