The premise of this originally French play is simple. Three longtime friends – Marc (Richard Roxburgh), Serge (Damon Herriman) and Yvan (Toby Schmitz) – find their bond shaken when Serge purchases a painting consisting of an entirely white canvas for a huge sum of money.
Serge insists he loves it. Marc cannot believe his best friend has been so idiotic (” You paid 160,000 for that shit?”). Yvan, ever the conciliator, attempts to straddle both camps, soothing egos and trying desperately to keep the peace.
From friends to fault lines
What follows is less a plot-driven drama than a slow unravelling. The painting becomes a lightning rod – not just a question of artistic taste, but of identity, status and shifting power. What begins as an argument about aesthetics rapidly strips away years of respect and affection. Old grievances and rivalries surface and ‘jokes’ land with a sting.
Richard Roxburgh is at the top of his game and brings the quiet confidence of a consummate performer. Having commanded the stage in works such as The Tempest (STC, 2022) and anchored countless starring television roles (including Rake, ABC TV), his Marc has an assumed authority that gradually fractures. Damon Herriman’s Serge is cool and self-satisfied, yet flickers of doubt creep in as the play progresses. The repartee between the two actors is fast, precise and deliciously barbed. Their physical interplay has an almost balletic quality, as though engaged in an elegant duel.
Toby Schmitz, meanwhile, provides exquisite comic timing as the perpetually anxious Yvan, whose frantic attempts at neutrality become increasingly untenable. His late monologue – a spiralling breakdown over his upcoming wedding and the terrifying prospect of losing his friends – is deeply affecting.
Comedy with consequence
Charles Davis’ minimalist set, doubling up as Marc’s and Serge’s apartments, cleverly mirrors the blank canvas at the play’s centre. Deftly directed by Lee Lewis, this production reminds us why Yasmina Reza’s celebrated comedy has endured for decades. The script walks a tightrope between comedy and philosophical inquiry, asking uncomfortable questions about why we value what we value – in art, and in each other.
ART is a entertaining evening of theatre – intelligent, funny and unexpectedly poignant – proving that the smallest disagreement can reveal the largest truths about friendship, love, ego and loyalty. The comedy sparkles, but it is the emotional precision beneath the wit that lingers long after the curtain falls.
ART
Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney until 8 March
Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane 11-22 March
Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 22 April – 3 May
Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide 20-24 May
arttheplay.com.au
