The duelling philosophies of Warhol and Basquiat
The Collaboration, a new play written by Anthony McCarten and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, reimagines the real-life friendship of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. This is quite familiar artistic territory so, sure enough, graffitied crowns line the theatre walls; a DJ (Xana) in an orange blazer blasts scratchy vinyl sounds across the auditorium; grainy videos of the New York subway light up gauzy screens in Duncan McLean’s stage projections; Warhol and Basquiat, played by Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope, are suitably bitchy and competitive; and nobody can stop talking about money. It’s 1983: the Pope of Pop’s powers are shrinking, and he is nervously aware of the rebellious young contemporary whose work is commanding high prices. Meanwhile, their dealer is on the prowl, sniffing out an opportunity for mutual enrichment.