Tony-award winning satire

Yasmina Reza's blockbuster satire on modern art and critical snobbery kicks off 2024 for The Guthrie, in this new production of Christopher Hampton's celebrated translation, directed by Lisa Portes. Three friends find that their close relationship is highly tested when one of them buys a controversial piece of art. Whilst one extolls the virtues of the piece, another friend is scornful and determined to try make his friend "see sense".

The story of Art

Art was originally a French-language play that premiered in 1994 in Paris. Translated into English by Christopher Hampton, it premiered in London two years later, starring stage and screen legends Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, and Ken Stott as the three divided friends and ran for eight years.

Serge, Marc and Yvan are three middle-aged friends at varying stages of success in their lives. When the prosperous Serge buys a ludicrously expensive painting comprising white stripes on a white canvas, he is disappointed to learn that his friend Marc is less than impressed. Disdainful at the piece,his scorn threatens their 15-year relationship, whilst Yvan tries to play peacemaker. Unfortunately, this only serves to blow things into a bigger problem than before.