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[title]For a strictly limited season, see what happens when a trio of Aussie actors take on an internationally acclaimed comedy. Richard Roxburgh (The Correspondent, Elvis), Damon Herriman (Mr Inbetween, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Toby Schmitz (Boy Swallows Universe, Grief is the Thing with Feathers) star together in the award-winning play ART by Yasmina Reza.
The 90-minute comedy centres on something deceptively simple – one friend buys a (ridiculously) expensive painting, causing opinions to fly, old tensions to resurface, and a long-standing friendship to begin unravelling.
Originally a French play by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton, ‘Art the Play’ receives a rollicking Australian production directed by Lee Lewis (Prima Facie, Mother Play) that Time Out reviewer Stephen A Russell calls "a colourful riot that’s not to be missed".
Russell says: "Reza’s razor-sharp satire not only swipes at the uncomfortable tug of war between creativity and commerce, but also the inability of too many men to talk cool."
"There’s an element of unhinged farce to their increasingly frantic sparring that will have audience members torn between rip-roaring guffaws and toenail-curling anxiety gasps in such a way that will thoroughly discombobulate your fight or flight instinct."
As the production has already picked up a number of awards internationally, theatregoers can expect a nuanced exploration of how the smallest things can spiral into something much bigger.
Art is now playing at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre until May 17, 2026. With Melbourne evenings getting colder, there’s never been a better excuse to hit the theatre. Get in quick and snap up your tickets here.