11.87°C Review by Paul T. Davies, Keep Colchester Cool Theatre Editor.
Art, presented by Black Brook Theatre, played at the Headgate Theatre in Colchester.
Since its appearance on the West End in 1996, Yasmina Reza’s play has been a constant favourite with audiences and, with its three-actor cast, an economical choice for professional and amateur companies alike. When art lover Serge buys a completely white painting for 100,000 euros, it infuriates his best friend Marc, who is appalled at the waste of money, as he sees it. Mutual friend Yvan tries to act as a bridge between them, his anxiety about his upcoming wedding causing many additional problems. As the tension and arguments between them increase, the real issue emerges: that, as friends for decades, they love each other and are fearful of the changes about to happen in their lives.
This 30th-anniversary production by the newly formed theatre group Black Brook Theatre is very well directed by Tia Winterbottom, and although the cast are too young for us to believe in the decades of friendship, they performed extremely well.
Peregrine Maturin-Baird perfectly captures Marc’s frustration at his friend’s spending power and, as the painting becomes a conduit for their real frustrations with each other, ups the ante perfectly. George Penny is perfect as Serge, employing an effective smugness at his taste in art and ability to be part of the art market, genuinely not understanding why his friend is so upset, and Tom Milton is simply divine as Yvan, clumsily trying to negotiate peace between his two friends, his uncertainty about his upcoming nuptials hijacking the discussion. The timing among the three of them is razor-sharp, and there is a clear understanding of their friendship.
My only criticism is that it has a totally unnecessary interval. The play is 80 minutes long and is usually performed without a break; here, the build-up to the mother of all arguments is interrupted. The cast pick it up well, but the enjoyment of watching brittle politeness spiral out of control is diminished somewhat. A minor quibble, though, as this is a highly enjoyable and well-performed evening at the theatre.
Art runs to Saturday, 14th March 2026. Tickets are available.
