Tuesday 1st – Saturday 5th October 2024 – Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne
5 stars
ART, the acclaimed comedy by Yasmina Reza, brings a brilliant mix of sharp wit and emotional depth, exploring the fragile dynamics of friendship. At the heart of the play are Serge, Marc and Yvan, three long-time friends whose relationship is tested when Serge splashes out £200,000 on a plain white painting. What begins as a casual disagreement over art soon escalates into a full-blown confrontation, peeling back layers of ego, loyalty and insecurities.
The play’s success lies in its simplicity. A single painting serves as the spark for an intense and often hilarious debate. Marc, appalled by Serge’s purchase, sees it as a betrayal of their shared values, while Yvan tries to play the peacekeeper, caught in the middle of the growing conflict. What’s clever about ART is how it uses this seemingly trivial dispute to dig deep into the trio’s longstanding friendship, exposing cracks that have been simmering beneath the surface.
Chris Harper (Coronation Street and Call The Midwife) shines as Serge, portraying the art-loving dermatologist with both arrogance and charm, while Aden Gillett’s (The Crown and The House of Elliot) Marc brings a mix of biting sarcasm, disgust and vulnerability to his role. Comedian Seann Walsh’s (Live at the Apollo, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here) Yvan delivers some of the play’s funniest moments, especially during his frantic, high-energy monologues.
The dialogue zips along with razor-sharp humour, keeping the audience entertained and laughing out loud while simultaneously making us think about what art and friendship really mean. ART has stood the test of time since its 1994 premiere, thanks to its universal themes and perfectly paced, dry comedy.
