Aneurin “Nye” Bevan, a British Labour party politician during W.W. II, leveled many insults at Winston Churchill. Perhaps the best known is, “I welcome the opportunity of pricking the bloated bladder of lies with the poignard of truth.” Churchill returned the favor, calling Bevan “a merchant of discourtesy” and “a squalid nuisance.” Bevan, a left-wing leader and the Minister of Health responsible for establishing Britain’s National Health Service, made medical treatment free for Brits in 1948. Three years later, he was named the Minister of Labour. Within months, Bevan resigned to protest prescription charges for dental work and glasses. Master of the elaborate insult with a shiv inside, Bevan went on to lead the most extreme leftists in the Labour Party, the “Bevanites.” A new play by Tim Price uses Bevan’s battle with cancer as the moment when he stops to look back on his legacy. Michael Sheen stars as the beloved Bevan. —Jensen Davis