Art

Published Monday 21 April 2008 at 11:05 by Hugh Homan

Art is an excellent choice for a tour round the tiny villages of East Anglia: cast of three, simple set. And the timing is interesting, with Reza’s latest play, God of Carnage, running at London’s Gielgud Theatre. I caught up with the tenth annual tour on its third date in Wickhambrook’s pleasant village hall. It’s the second time I’ve seen Art and in Abigail Anderson’s punchy, pacy production it seems to be more about male friendship (particularly French male friendship) than it does about Art (with or without a capital ‘A’).

The plot is probably known to most by now: Serge buys a painting - a seventies Antreos work which consists of a 5in by 4in canvas that is completely white, with a few white diagonal ‘stripes’. Serge shows his latest acquisition to his friends Marc and Yvan (who is about to get married). Their reactions to this ‘masterpiece’, which has cost Serge 200,000 francs, is the substance of the drama and the comedy.

It is a strong cast. James G Bellorini as the neurotic Yvan is a delight. Forever squirming under the taunts of the other two, his mobile face and neck suggest perfectly the less than confident persona he presents to the world and a man who is less than certain that Catherine will be a perfect match for him. Michael Onslow plays Serge, the man who bought the painting that nearly ends their 15-year friendship. Onslow’s wonderfully modulated performance catches every nuance of the turmoil he’s forced through to justify his extravagant act. Richard Tunley plays Marc, a kind of everyman figure who acts partly as a narrator to keep us up to speed on the twists and turns of the drama. His attempts to remain rational while maintaining his friendships are consistently beguiling. It all adds up to an entertaining night at the theatre, wherever you are.