Review: The Best Man

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Best Man.
I am a huge politics nerd, so any show with the theme of politics is of a huge interest to me. Whilst scrolling through the Richmond Theatre website, The Best Man caught my eye and I knew it would be a must-see. Despite it being extremely busy, I was still able to get some last-minute tickets. The Best Man follows the fictitious Democratic National Convention, when five men vie for the Democratic Presidential Nomination.

The Best Man is masterfully directed by Simon Evans, who I would largely credit for this production being the success it is. It is somewhat rare to notice direction when watching a show, however it was extremely noticeable here and I have nothing but praise for Evan's direction. It was one of the best directed shows I have seen as of late.

The moment where the writing really comes into its element is towards the end of act two, when tension is at its highest possible level. At this point in the show, anything could have happened and it was so exciting to witness the final events. There are points in act one where the dialogue can drag on at times, however I would say that the vast majority of the writing was to a very high standard. Despite this play being written in 1960, its as relevant today as it was before. There are multiple modern politicians that had striking similarities with the characters in the play. The character of Senator Joseph Cantwell not only acted similarly to Mitt Romney, but he even looked like Mitt Romney!

Martin Shaw gave a very subtle performance as Secretary William Russell, which made the character both relatable and likeable. The character was very understandable, and had these been real characters, he would have certainly had my vote. Jeff Fahey, as Senator Joseph Cantwell was phenomenal and his best moment was, without a doubt, the final scene, during which he was absolutely captivating. Jack Shepherd, portraying President Hockstader, gave an outstanding performance of what I perceived to be the most interesting character in the play. Jack Shepherd was an absolutely brilliant actor. Other cast members who stood out were Glynis Barber as Alice Russell, Anthony Howell as Dick Jenson and David Tarkenter as Sheldon Marcus.

In terms of the design of the show, the one aspect which truly stood out was the lighting design, which had been designed by Chris Davey. The lighting design severed the show well and worked immensely well.

The featured star of The Best Man is, drum roll please... JACK SHEPHERD!

Featured star was a tough decision between Martin Shaw, Jeff Fahey and Jack Shepherd. Each gave outstanding performances and it was difficult to choose a favourite. I chose Jack Shepherd, as due to his portrayal, I found his character to be the most interesting. Jack Shepherd has to show so much emotion in what must be a difficult role to play and he excels. I also found the character fascinating, which was helped by Jack's phenomenal portrayal.

Now for my final verdict on The Best Man. I give The Best Man...

During act one, this decision would have been between a three and a four star. However act two really pushes the show over the edge and makes it an unquestionable four star. 

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer