Review: ART - Theatr Clwyd (16/07/26)

Compelling, strangely endearing Yasmina Reza piece has far more to it than meets the eye

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Does anyone, even the most artistically inclined among us, really know what they're talking about when it comes to critiquing art? Often there are as many views on a partiular piece as there are artists features in a gallery, but do said views stem from a genuine appreciation of the item in question, or more from a desire not to come across as ignorant of its intentions? One thing is for sure either way, the discussion thereof will often spark lively, heated, at times plain nasty exchanges between those whom may come to major disagreements about it.

Enter our three main characters: a three-way friendship with a long history, between straight talking engineer Marc, confident medical practitioner Serge, and our man in the middle Yvan, trying in vain to keep the peace whilst his two compadres are at each other's throats. The cause of this contention? Serge having spent a neat six figure sum on a painting that, to the "untrained" eye, is entirely painted white, professing to be a connoisseur of modern art, though his devotion is largely driven by the prestige of the artist. This does not sit right with traditionalist Marc, who sees the piece as nothing more than a blank canvas, all whilst Yvan attempts to keep their friendship (and his own crumbling mental health) in one piece.

(L-R) Stuart Rathe, Chris Jones and Simon Phillips

The fact that this play is so compelling stems largely from its simplicity, but also in how strongly it reflects the best and worst of the human experience, from our sense of unwavering conviction and commitment to our opinions in the face of those whom so staunchly oppose them, to how we can fall apart completely in the face of a cascade of anxieties. In this instance, the latter comes in the form of Yvan simultaneously trying to prevent his two friends from killing each other, all whilst bearing the weight of his upcoming nuptials with his overbearing fiancée. Yasmina Reza's writing is sophisticated and quick witted, and not one of the three individuals are disproportionately over or under represented, making for a wonderfully balanced piece full of humour, suspense and intrigue.

On top of this, in addition to giving a marvellously witty, thoroughly uppity performance as know-it-all Marc, Simon Phillips doubles up as the director, and a lot like his much maligned perceived blank canvas, he has given this production a wonderfully minimalist feel, Mark Disley's set presents us with a series of comfortable chairs, a painting on a blank panel either side of the stage, and our central work of art adorning the central part of the stage on an easel. We have everything we need, and the fact that the set doesn't feel overbearing means we can keep our focus on the various exchanges between our lead trio.

Phillips' direction is remarkably refined, most notably making excellent use of silence, stillness and the tension building that often comes with this; these are pushed to the edge, and have us wondering right up to the final moment who will be the one to break the silence, often to terrifically humorous effect. Additionally, the scattered use of one of Ligeti's string quartets to act as a bridge between scenes matched the aesthetic, as well as Reza's chaotic comedic stylings. This is as much an ode to the highly flawed, often conceited art of art criticism as it is a tribute to the fragile yet enduring nature of friendship, through the good, bad and ugly.

Alongside director Phillips as Marc, we had two equally accomplished performers completing our trife

"aiArtcta of talent; Chris Jones as Serge was appropriately charming, with just the perfect palate of pomposity and pride thrown in, and counteracting the pair of bickering cohorts, Stuart Rathe revelled in bringing to life the skittish, mentally fragile peacekeeping third wheel Yvan, who gives arguably the performance of the evening, especially in the late monologue, where he does not skip a beat, and drew a stunned, aghast reaction from a delighted audience.

There are so many layers of intrigue to this piece, but it never feels at odds with the in-built straightforward nature of the basic premise, which is essentially an argument over a piece of contemporary art. It goes to show, in many ways, that the entire notion of art in and of itself is subjective to a fault, and one has to question whether there are really any right or wrong answers when it comes to particular pieces, and the discussion thereof. "Art" pulls double duty, in holding a mirror up to our natural inclination to stubbornly double down on our views, as well as exposing cracks in already fragile relationships. This was a modestly staged, but still impressively performed, production of what has become something of a modern classic.

★★★★☆ (4*)

"Art" concluded performances at Theatr Clwyd on the 18th of July

{PR/Gifted Tickets}