Yvan (Seann Walsh), Serge (Chris Harper) and Marc (Aden Gillett) 

Art 

Malvern Theatres 

***** 

Yasmina Reza’s multi award winning play ART is a razor sharp exploration of art, love and friendship. Directed by Iqbal Khan we are told the story of how a seemingly simple purchase of contemporary art, an all white painting, gives rise to a hilarious debate amongst three close friends, Yvan (Seann Walsh), Serge (Chris Harper) and Marc (Aden Gillett.) 

A light- hearted discussion about art quickly leads to a riotous exploration of the blurred lines between art and reality. 

When Serge shows his friend Marc a painting he has bought, he is utterly baffled, mainly as the painting appears simply to be a piece of white canvas. 

Serge assures Marc it is much more than that and has diagonal white lines and even colours in it. 

Marc’s bafflement turns to fury as he Learns that Serge has paid £200,000 for it, proclaiming it to be “shit”. 

Marc then discusses this with another friend Yvan who fires his rage even further by not appearing to care, saying the price of the painting “depends on how Fashionable” the artist is, in this case Atrios. 

When Serge shows Yvan the painting he pretends to like it. This leads to a series of heated and angry discussions between all three friends where they realise their opinions differ on many other subjects not just art. 

 Meanwhile Yvan is trying to plan his wedding attempting to keep mother-in-laws and other battling females in the family happy.  

The sharing of home truths leads to physical violence, when Serge makes a comment about Marc’s partner Paula. There is a heartfelt monologue from Yvan, and an unexpected ending as the relationships between all three of them are brought into uncomfortable focus. 

This is a moving and deeply thought provoking though hilariously funny play,  with equally compelling and gutsy performances from all three characters. 

This Joshua Beaumont and Original Theatre production runs to Saturday 28th September. 

Jane Lush  

24-09-24