Art, Birmingham Hippodrome - review and pictures
Within 30 seconds of the curtain rising the audience were tittering, quickly they were laughing and soon guffawing.
The laughter simply never stopped. It’s quite shocking that the writer behind this comedy masterpiece, French writer Yasmina Reza, actually believed she had written a tragedy.
But Art is an example of that wonderful satire which has the audience thinking while they are laughing – and both thinking and laughing long after they have left the theatre.
Each and every line in this hilarious script is sheer genius and worthy of every award it has won.
Key to the play, though, is the delivery and therefore the performances of the three characters at the centre of the love-hate friendship triangle.
With three veterans of stage and screen – Nigel Havers, Denis Lawson and Stephen Tompkinson – in the roles, the result is dynamite. Hold onto your hats because you are going to laugh your heads off.
Masters of their art, this trinity of talent can extract hoots of laughter without even saying a word. Their facial expressions, their body language and physical reactions plus Reza’s wonderful words combine for a production of pure gold.
There is clearly chemistry between the protagonists and it is easy to think they have been the best of friends for years.
The story begins with Serge (Nigel Havers) buying a £200,000 piece of modern art which is essentially a white canvas – with white diagonal lines – much to the disgust of his more conservative friend Marc (Denis Lawson).
Smouldering resentments of old rise to the surface as the dispute over the painting escalates out of control with their pal Yvan (Stephen Tompkinson) finding himself in the middle, playing peacemaker and ultimately upsetting everyone. Not least himself.
The play comes to a head when a grand gesture is required to prevent the long-standing friendships falling apart.
Havers returns to the role he played 18 years ago on the previous Art tour and is well cast as the well-to-do, slightly pretentious ‘modern man’. Lawson is excellent as the straight-talking, conventional and somewhat angry man Marc.
But Tompkinson steals the show in the delightful role of Yvan and quite rightly receives spontaneous applause for his rapid, ranting recount of his latest domestic crisis. Tompkinson is hilarious but heart-breaking as everyone’s favourite funny friend who behind the laughs hides a lonely and troubled mind which gradually comes to the fore.
Brilliant writing and three fantastic actors – what’s not to love about this incredible Art form?
Runs at the Hippodrome until Saturday.
