Seann Walsh, Chris Harper and Aden Gillett starring at an award-winning play ART, at Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Three white men arguing about a white painting with white lines was more of a drama than a comedy, or was the humour dry, unlike the weather?
ART, a multi-award-winning play, having won Best Comedy at the Olivier Awards, Tony Awards and Moliere Awards — presented by Joshua Beaumont and Original Theatre — is starring at Theatre Royal, Nottingham.
The comedy explores themes of art, love, and friendship, but if you dig deeper, it will leave every member of the audience in a pretentious discussion about humanity, money, and moral values.
What started with a friendly talk between two best friends of over 10 years, quickly spiralled into an argument about why would one spend £200,000 on a white painting, or why wouldn’t the other recognise modern art.
The 85-minute theatre production doesn’t have an interval, doesn’t change the set, and it doesn’t need to, because despite being in the same place and with the same actors from the beginning until the very end, it is an eye-catching production that will have your attention the whole time, be it for the laughs or the drama.
It follows the story of three long-date best friends, award-winning comedian Seann Walsh, Chris Harper (Call the Midwife, Coronation Street) and Aden Gillett (The Crown, The House of Elliot).
One spends money on what he calls modern art, one feels as empty as the painting and hates the so-called modern art, while poor Ivan just wants to have a peaceful wedding without his fiancee screaming or any mother-in-law dramas.
Watching ART is very similar to the feeling of being on a roller coaster, there are the peaks, the lows and the moments you feel anxious not knowing what is coming next — Will they be friends again or will they let a friendship of so many years die because of a white, or not so white, canvas?
I left the theatre thinking how vain the human is, was the painting white, or was it a reflection of what’s inside us? So many questions, and that is exactly what art should be about, questions, thinking and triggering feelings.
The smash hit comedy by Yasmina Reza and directed by Iqbal Khan is the perfect evening plan, especially when the weather is so wet at the moment because it is guaranteed that such dry British humour will make the weather feel less soaking.
So let me tell you, ART can be indeed considered art from my point of view, and you can also watch it at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham until Saturday, October 12.
