Rufus Sewell leads the cast in this new production of Yasmina Reza’s play directed by Matthew Warchus. Here is what critics have been saying about it?
The Stage: *** “Having directed the play on both sides of the Atlantic, Matthew Warchus brings a wealth of familiarity to the piece on his own turf and still manages to keep the nuances of dialogue and episodic silences light and meaningful.”
Time Out: *** ” Reza, Warchus and the fine cast’s skill is to use absurdist humour to portray the midlife crisis in genuinely thoughtful light.”
The Guardian: **** “Warchus’s production and Mark Thompson’s design are immaculate in their conception.”
The Independent: **** “Warchus directs with an elegant lightness of touch and a finely shaded feel for both the absurdity and the melancholy.”
The Times: **** “This feels a little bit like the theatrical equivalent of a reunion tour, like the Rolling Stones doing the rounds one more time but with better lighting.”
WhatsOnStage: *** “It is a worthless masterpiece; a pedigree crowdpleaser. I can’t stand it.”
Culture Whisper: **** “Rufus Sewell is smooth, self-assured and just smug enough as Serge.”
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “There’s no doubt that this is a universally funny play and is successful in expanding a esoteric debate into the universally understood human realm, but I ultimately found it frustratingly inconsequential.”
The Upcoming: *** “Despite ample laughs the whole thing skirts by without much weight because it lacks both the intellectual rigour to make the debates stimulating, and the emotional warmth to make the central friendship believable.”
Evening Standard: *** “It’s surface gloss rather than real profundity, but appealing surface gloss all the same.”
Gay Times: **** “Matthew Warchus’ production is visually pleasing and brought together by this cast of leading men.”
British Theatre Guide: “Art is very funny, insightful and at times chilling. As such, there is no reason to believe that this revival should not prove incredibly popular at the Old Vic.”
Broadway World: ***** “As well as asking some important questions, the play goes big on humour and is an exceedingly entertaining 90 minutes of theatre. Art is nothing short of a masterpiece.”
London Theatre1: **** “A fascinating and lively production.”
Art will play at the Old Vic Theatre until the 18th February 2017. To book tickets visit:Discount Theatre.com, Theatre Tickets Direct.co.uk, Love Theatre.com, Theatre People.com and UK Tickets.co.uk.