THEATRE REVIEWS

The popularity of Yasmin Reza's short play shows no sign of diminishing and since it was first produced in English in 1996, Art has created comic roles that actors jump at for a chance to show their comedic skills.

In this production Michael Garner, Russell Boulter and director Simon Shepherd deliver energetic and convincing performances as Yvan, Marc and Serge, three long-standing friends despite, or because of, not having anything obvious in common.

The play explores the collapse of the friendship between the three men — suave Serge, who flounced just a little too much for my taste, a successful dermatologist who appears to have become pretentious and superior towards his friends; Marc, an aeronautical engineer who prides himself on being an outsider and the gentle, mournful Yvan, older and the least successful, who has resigned himself to life as a stationery salesman.

Serge's acquisition of an expensive painting that seems to be no more than a large white square is the catalyst behind the disintegration of their friendship. Their different reactions to the artwork and Marc's lack of understanding of Serge's enjoyment of it uncover suppressed resentments and tensions that lead them to wonder what holds their friendship together, whether it is unconditional after all — and what price is worth paying to save it.

The levels of abuse hurled at each other escalate hilariously as Serge and Marc battle to convince the other of their point of view, whilst Yvan desperately struggles to maintain a foot in both camps, pleasing no-one and succeeding only in becoming their whipping boy. His red-faced, hysterical monologue describing a tortured conversation with his mother about wedding invitations was a highlight of the performance, which was generally well-paced and kept the audience laughing.

Much of the play's success must be attributed to the strength of Christopher Hampton's translation; the dialogue is witty, sharp and realistic. In a play this stripped down, the strength of the script and clever stage direction were combined to great effect. The silences were as telling and as funny as the dialogue — who knew that the sound of olives stones dropping into a bowl could convey such animosity?

This play is ninety minutes of intense fun and if you've seen it before, it is well worth going again, since Michael Garner as Yvan feels like one of those performances that become a benchmark for the role. © DOS

“Art” is in Richmond on the 4th until the 9th of July, 2005.