ART is one of those plays that won't change your world, and you emerge from the theatre feeling mildly entertained.
That said, I can't think of a better way to spend 75 minutes than catching the latest production at the Garricck's Lauriston Studio. Well I can, but unfortunately she's seeing somebody.
We drop in on the lives of three men about town, two of which are footloose and fancy free, one of which is about to get married. Poor Yvan - his future mother in law sounds horrendous.
Their cosy friendship is threatened when one of them, Serge, blows a huge sum of money on a piece of modern "art." This piece of modern "art" is a blank canvas but, unlike the emperor in The Emperor's New Clothes, Serge finally wakes up to the fact that he's been well and truly conned.
A strong ensemble cast of Phil Duncan (Marc), John Keen (Serge) and Mark Edgar (Yvan) make the best of an uneven script and they also make you believe in their characters. For me, this is Mark Edgar's best performance at the Garrick to date and he was particularly good when he started crying, his blubbering the by product of pre marital stress.
The play's central theme, about the importance of friendship, is vividly brought to the fore by director Nick Johnson and while the script does have its weaknesses, it does contain a more than decent ration of wit.
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Art is well worth seeing but I feel those behind the Lauriston could, on this occasion, chosen a more challenging play. Hugely enjoyable all the same. Rick Bowen
* Until Saturday. The box office is on 0161 928 1677.
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