Art

Yasmina Reza
Original Theatre
Mercury Theatre, Colchester

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Seann Walsh, Chris Harper & Aden Gillett Credit: Geraint Lewis
Seann Walsh, Chris Harper & Aden Gillett Credit: Geraint Lewis

Yasmina Reza’s play, first produced in 1994, is a modern classic—and many great actors have tackled it before including Tom Courtney, Albert Finny, Jack Dee and Mark Gatiss, among many others.

On the surface, it’s a play about the dynamics of long-term friendships and their need to develop as we get older if they are to survive, but it is also about pretension and perception, betrayal and loyalty, but most of all it speaks to our ‘woke’ culture today, as one of its main themes is the age-old ‘Emperor’s new clothes’ idea. Is something good or bad because it really is, or because everyone has jumped on the bandwagon and says it is? And will we be ‘cancelled’ if we go against the grain?

On a sophisticated, minimal set of lights and moving walls that doubles for the trio of living spaces, three friends battle it out for supremacy and the very existence of their continued relationships. Serge, successful dermatologist, has bought a painting. He’s spent £200,000 on it. It’s by a famous artist but it’s basically white—a white painting on a white background. Marc comes to visit and is decidedly unimpressed. All he sees is a blank canvas and can’t believe Serge has spent money on something so ‘shit’, or that he is so pretentious as to believe it’s worth something.

Marc goes to see Yvan, who is stressed out about his forthcoming nuptials. Marc gives his opinion, so Yvan goes to see the painting for himself. He’s torn between his two friends and really can’t see what all the fuss is about, but is happy to compromise if it keeps the peace.

Then all three meet up at Serge’s for an evening out, and mayhem ensues as the painting becomes the focal point in a battle over who will gain the upper hand and whether their friendship is worth the nuclear fallout of intransigence or compromise.

Directed with pace and a fairly light touch by Iqbal Khan, the actors bring out the subtleties of the relationships and both the humour and the emotion of Christopher Hampton’s translation of a very clever play.

Stand-up comedian Seann Walsh gives Yvan a vulnerability that’s touching and makes the comedy more believable. Chris Harper is an excellent Serge, calm, cool and collected. Aden Gillett as Marc maybe doesn’t give the character as much intelligence or gravitas as he needs to have, given he is really the leader of the pack, but he is a good contrast to the other two and is acerbic enough to inflict the pain.

The twist at the end makes us all examine our motives—and what really gives things value.

This is a superb production of a timeless play that is well worth revisiting or seeing for the first time. Thoroughly recommended.

Reviewer: Suzanne Hawkes

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