Brisbane review – ART: razor‑edged comedy
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
By David Wilson
ART
Written by Yasmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Lee Lewis
Set and Costume Design by Charles Davis
Original Music by Max Lambert
Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), Brisbane
Playhouse Theatre till 22 March 2026
Tickets available from $89
Toby Schmitz, Richard Roxburgh, Damon Herriman
Photo credit: Brett Boardman
Originally written in French and premiering in Paris in 1994, Art by Yasmina Reza has become one of the most celebrated contemporary comedies in modern theatre.
The English translation by Christopher Hampton was first performed at Wyndham’s Theatre in 1996, before the play went on to conquer stages around the world.
Its Broadway premiere in 1998 won the Tony Award for Best Play and cemented its reputation as a razor-sharp exploration of friendship, taste and ego.
More recently, a Broadway revival starring James Corden, Neil Patrick Harris and Bobby Cannavale brought Reza’s brilliant script back into the spotlight for a new generation of audiences.
The premise is deceptively simple. Serge has purchased an expensive piece of modern art — a large white canvas with subtle (perhaps invisible) white lines.
To him it is sophisticated and intellectually stimulating. To his friend Marc, it is absurd: an outrageously priced blank canvas masquerading as culture.
What begins as a seemingly trivial disagreement about art quickly escalates into something far deeper, exposing long-held tensions, bruised egos and the fragile foundations of a decades‑long friendship.
As the debate intensifies, the third member of their trio, Yvan, becomes an increasingly frantic mediator, attempting to keep the peace while navigating his own chaotic personal life.
The argument over the painting gradually unravels years of accumulated frustrations and resentments, revealing how taste, identity, loyalty and status intertwine within even the closest friendships.
Reza’s script is famously sharp, witty and psychologically astute, using the simplicity of its premise to explore larger questions about subjectivity and perception.
What defines art? What gives something value? And perhaps most importantly — how well do we truly know the people we call friends?
Beneath the laughter lies a thoughtful meditation on masculinity, vulnerability and the delicate balance that sustains long‑standing relationships.
Director Lee Lewis brings this razor‑edged comedy to life with exceptional clarity and brilliant use of varied pace.
The production is magnificently entertaining from beginning to end — a sharp script, wonderfully directed and brilliantly delivered.
The balance of timing, lighting and sound is extremely slick, wrapped in a wonderfully visual package that includes perfectly on‑point costuming that signifies each character’s personality with precision.
At the centre of it all are three of Australia’s finest actors, each operating at the absolute peak of their powers.
Richard Roxburgh brings gravitas and dry precision to Marc, whose outrage over the painting reveals both his intellectual rigidity and his deep emotional investment in the friendship. Roxburgh’s performance is beautifully controlled, allowing Marc’s simmering frustration and moral certainty to emerge with impeccable comic timing.
As Serge, Damon Herriman delivers a wonderfully nuanced portrayal of a man whose pride in his purchase masks a quiet determination to assert his independence. Herriman captures Serge’s blend of sophistication and stubbornness perfectly, giving the character both dignity and sly humour.
Completing the trio, Toby Schmitz is utterly superb as the perpetually anxious Yvan. His frantic attempts to mediate between his friends — while simultaneously juggling the chaos of his own personal life — provide some of the evening’s most uproarious moments. Schmitz’s energy and precision create a performance that is both hilariously frantic and deeply sympathetic.
The interplay between the three actors is a masterclass in comic timing and balance. The pace and rhythm of the dialogue are handled with brilliant precision, allowing Reza’s razor‑sharp lines to land perfectly. The result is a production that feels both effortless and electrifying.
Visually, the production is equally impressive. Charles Davis’ elegant set and costume design creates a sleek, contemporary environment that reflects the characters’ personalities while keeping the infamous painting firmly at the centre of attention.
Paul Jackson’s lighting design subtly shapes the mood and rhythm of each scene, while Max Lambert’s original music provides a refined finishing touch to the overall theatrical experience.
Three of Australia’s best actors sharing the stage in a brilliantly written play is already a recipe for success — but under Lewis’s assured direction, this production achieves something even more special.
The result is theatre that is intelligent, stylish and consistently hilarious.
The audience’s response said it all. A rousing standing ovation greeted the final moments, a fitting tribute to a production that is as polished as it is entertaining.
Art remains one of the great modern comedies, and this superb staging proves exactly why.
Sharp, sophisticated, thought provoking and magnificently performed, it is a theatrical experience not to be missed.
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