Best of Enemies – Noel Coward Theatre

It is 1968 in the United States of America. The elections are approaching, ABC news trails behind NBC and CBS. To catch up with the competition, they setup an experimental debate between Gore Vidal, a left-wing writer and William Buckley, a pamphleteer for the Conservatives; in one of a kind prime time show. The conflict is simple. Conservatives goes against Libertarianism. (And we can never get enough of it).

‘Which country do you belong to?’ The right or the left? Democratic or Republican? The incorrect question is the backbone of the conflict. It simply assumes the answer has to be an either, or. Throughout the play, one kept wondering what happens if a citizen chooses neither, nor? Or what happens to the subjective benefits and failures that come with choosing one and vice versa. Duality does not serve the purpose of active thinking and active interrogation. One hoped to go deeper into the unknowns of this problem.

Best of Enemies is successful in communicating the futility of prime-time news television shows. It offers a seething commentary on the potential of the television to divide people with politics in a democratic- capitalist societies. It is an immensely engaging experience with the ambitious design by Bunny Christie and video design by Max Spielbichler. However, a similar philosophical rigour in exploring the converse sides of both characters was missing. One hoped to see more of the liberal conscience of William and shed light on all that is conservative in Gore Vidal. The wife of William Buckley and long-time partner of Gore Vidal tells them that they are very similar to each other. The opposites being the same.

On the issues of racism of the times and the Vietnam war was dodged smartly by small interscenes of protesting troupes and flashing news headlines. These scenes did not affect any character directly that is strange to see in the aftermath of Martin Luther King’s death. It was felt that the representation of their sentiment was merely appropriated to suit the narrative and it was not represented to its potential. Moreover, the play does not adapt to the race of the actor essaying William. It may draw the audience into the world of television, but it happens at the expense of theatre. The experience lacked the life of a theatre and an active imagination of the dramatic space.

Without the use of bodies, the actors play the perfectly crafted caricatures. With a lot of design noise around, the truth is in performance seems to be absent. It is a technically sound play that is built on the dream of a producer, probably why, it fails to be actively political and dig deep enough into the human condition through the contradiction it explores. Best of Enemies is playing at the Noel Coward Theatre till 28th February. https://bestofenemiesplay.com/

Reviewer: Akshay Raheja

Reviewed: 28th November 2022

North West End UK Rating: ★★★