Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto is heading over the pond to make his debut on the London stage. Quinto will be taking on the role of acclaimed, gay writer Gore Vidal in the play Best Of Enemies.
Written by James Graham, Best of Enemies takes place in 1968. It dramatizes a nightly TV debate show between the conservative William F.Buckley Jr. and the more liberal Vidal.
The nightly debates about the state of the nation came at a time when the country was deeply divided by protests, both around civil rights and the Vietnam war. The influential clashes between the two men went on to impact both US politics and television news.
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The play first played at London’s Old Vic in December 2021. Critics praised the show, which subsequently picked up a clutch of awards. Actor David Harewood (Homeland) will return from the original production to take on the role of Buckley.
Other famous characters in the play include Andy Warhol, James Baldwin, Patricia Buckley, Howard Austen, Aretha Franklin, and Martin Luther-King.
Zachary Quinto speaks of his “excitement” at role
In a statement, Quinto said: “Living and working in London has long been an aspiration of mine. But to be making my West End debut in such a thrilling and relevant play – amongst such a distinguished creative team – and playing such a scorching and complex character as Gore Vidal – far exceeds my expectations of what living and working in London would look like… I’m full of gratitude and excitement.
“Best of Enemies harkens back to a vital time – when genuine discourse was possible from even the most opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. My hope is that such discourse may be once again rekindled in response to the work itself.”
Quinto has previously trod the boards Stateside in Angels in America and The Boys in the Band, among other productions.
Best of Enemies will run at the Noël Coward Theatre from 14 November for 14 Weeks, with opening night on Monday 28 November. Tickets went on sale this morning.
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Mister P
Gore Vidal was one of the most brilliant, funny and interesting people in history. These debates will make a very interesting play.
Urban Geezer
They should have cast the actor who read all of Vidal’s quotes in the Woodward/ Newman biography directed by Ethan Hawke The Last Movie Stars on HBO. He was amazing and had Vidal’s voice and delivery down pat.
dbmcvey
Brooks Ashmanskas is a really great actor who, unfortunately, looks nothing like Gore Vidal.
dbmcvey
But then, David Harewood looks nothing like William F. Buckley.
monty clift
I think Jim Parsons would have been a good fit for Gore Vidal.
dbmcvey
Gore Vidal had massive sex appeal.
bachy
For those who can’t make it to the West End this year, a 2015 film entitled Best of Enemies: Buckley vs. Vidal, which examines the series of televised 1968 debates between liberal Gore Vidal and conservative William F. Buckley, is one of the most electrifying documentaries I’ve seen. Highly recommended.
garrulous
I am all in favor of blind casting, when appropriate and when it does not distort reality, as it were. But, William F. Buckley was white and a staunch white man at that. Casting as a POC distorts the nature of the relationship between Buckley and Vidal.
Man About Town
I agree; Harewood as Buckley is absurd. What’s next? Nelson Mandela played by Kaley Cuoco?
dbmcvey
I hate to say it but I agree. Buckley was a very, very white man.
Kangol2
William F. Buckley was a very racist and homophobic White man. He was also a regular fixture on American TV for decades. I assume when and if this heads to the US that they will go with less jarring casting (I’m all for blind casting in general, let me be clear), given our familiarity with both of these figures, but I could be wrong. I’d love to see Harewood play James Baldwin, who also gave Buckley a run for his money in their public conversations!
monty clift
@Man About Town, XD
Saps48
The article says that David Harewood is playing the role of someone named Cunningham, whoever that is
David Hudson
Corrected. Harewood is playing Buckley.
dbmcvey
Good casting! I hope this comes to the US at some point.
dbmcvey
Except I think casting Buckley as a POC will be a weird thing to have to overcome.
Fahd
I enjoyed the documentary, referenced in the comments above. I’d see the play, but I haven’t done theater since Covid. Do they require masks for live theatre performances in England?
Kangol2
Swoon over David Harewood. One of the many things I detested about the series Homeland was the writers’ decision to give him an early and explosive exit.
Having him play William F. Buckley is a bit bizarre but if it causes Buckley, who made infamously homophobic (he argued for tattooing gay men with AIDS on their buttocks in 1986, etc.) and racist comments (cf. “Why the South Must Prevail,” etc.), to turn over in his grave, so much the better.
monty clift
Tattoos on buttocks?? Buckley seems rather suspect….
IvanPH
William F Buckley ain’t black