A lucid and relevant reconstruction of a historic debate that fascinates and resonates, but is it theatre?Rating
Good
Baldwin vs Buckley at Wilton’s Music Hall reconstructs one of the most famous public debates of the twentieth century: a February 1965 encounter at the Cambridge Union between James Baldwin and William F Buckley Jr. The motion under discussion was deeply compelling: that the “American Dream” has been achieved at the expense of black Americans.
The performance is framed by projected television footage that introduces the speakers, emphasises the importance of both the event and its speakers, and also relays the final vote. Between these broadcasts, four actors bring the debate to life: Arnell Powell plays Baldwin, while Eric T. Miller takes on Buckley, and Christopher Wareham and Tom Kiteley play the Cambridge Union speakers David Heycock and Jeremy Burford respectively. As far as I could tell, the text remains faithful to the original exchange, including language that we would now no longer use, with good reason. Where there has been some artistic licence is in the manner of the material’s presentation: the speakers’ mannerisms, poise and tone of voice in places.
As a historical reconstruction and an opportunity to learn more about this important issue in a historical context, the production is effective: this was not an event I was familiar with and I was happy to witness it engage with the arguments and attitudes of the day. All of the performances are assured and convincing, particularly in conveying Baldwin’s principled passion and Buckley’s slick interactions. Powell captures the controlled intensity and rhetorical precision of Baldwin’s argument, while Miller presents Buckley as intellectually agile but somewhat combative.
The contemporary relevance is obvious. In an America still often paralysed by racial injustice and shaped by the attitudes of its current president towards immigrants, these arguments feel, sadly, far from resolved. If anything, the wounds feel more open and more raw than ever and I came away with a deep sense of frustration at how much we’ve taken a step back rather than a step forward since the debate happened – not only in the subject matter but also in the quality of the debate.
Despite this, I couldn’t help but think: why theatre? If the intention is to preserve and present the debate as it was, why cannot it simply be reshown? I struggled with the idea that it needed to be re-enacted. As a fan of Baldwin’s writing I would have loved to hear his speech coming from him directly. Theatre is, by its very nature, an act of artifice: it shapes, frames and re-imagines what we think of reality. I understand that there is a risk that it can also distort and confuse but ultimately I believe it exists to offer something beyond reconstructions of events.
That said, the verbatim account is powerful and to an extent defensible: I certainly learned a lot from watching it. But it also feels like a missed opportunity. Without rewriting or distorting the source, the production, adapted and directed by Christopher McElroen, could have found ways to frame the debate through a contemporary lens: drawing parallels, offering commentary, or allowing the projected material to relate more actively with the live performance, perhaps through statistics or footage from modern-day America for example. As it stands, the staging is simply respectful and faithful.
What Baldwin vs Buckley offers is not so much a piece of theatre that transforms its material, but a careful act of preservation. For many, that will be enough – the potency of the debate providing sufficient engagement. However, I left wishing that this had been shaped into something bolder and had more aggressively asserted its right to be staged.
Produced by the American vicarious
Adapted and directed by Christopher McElroen
Baldwin Vs Buckley plays at Wilton’s Music Hall until Saturday 7 February.
