Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged rating: 

Contrary to the title, Art is not actually about art. It focuses more on the friendship between the three main characters, Serge, Marc and Yvan (Played by Nigel Havers, Denis Lawson and Stephen Tompkinson, respectively). Having known each other for 25 years, the bond between Serge, Marc and Yvan begins to disintegrate after Serge purchases a white painting for what Marc considers to be an obscene amount of money.

Under this relatively simple premise, Yasmina Reza’s play touches on friendship, aging and class as well as the titular theme of art. Reza covers these themes effortlessly, bringing to the play a lightness of touch that makes even the climactic argument joyous to watch. This is thanks, in no small part, to the gentle comedy which exists throughout the play – something which the audience seemed to adore.

All three actors carry reputations as seasoned performers and they live up to them here, although some dialogue is delivered at such impressive speed that it can be easy to lose track of what is actually being said. Despite this, all three actors put in excellent performances, crafting detailed, three-dimensional characters drawn from the rich amount of background material provided by Reza’s text.

 A word must be given to Christopher Hampton’s translation, which features some excellent comic phrasing and expertly disguises the fact that English is not the play’s first language.

 This production of Art seems mainly to cater to the older audiences drawn in by the reputations of the three stars, but there is something here for everyone who finds themselves questioning their friendships every once in a while.

-Daniel Shipman

Art runs at The Lowry, Salford Quays until Saturday 31st March 2018.