INCREDIBLY popular – but seriously contentious – Yasmina Reza’s play ART is one of the great plays of the last 30 years. There are many who think it is laugh-out-loud funny and others who find it navel-gazing and pretentious. Make up your own mind when you watch a performance of ART by Somerleigh Players at Dorchester Corn Exchange on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th January.

At the heart of this play is a lifelong friendship between three men “of a certain age” and a contentious subject: “Is it ART?”.

The play is the story of three friends and what happens to their long friendship when one buys a piece of contemporary art – a pristine, all-white painting. Set in Paris, ART examines the lives of Serge, Marc and Yvan, and the way their long-standing bond is put to the test when Serge makes his unexpected and unconventional purchase.

What begins as a seemingly trivial debate over contemporary art rapidly spirals into a revealing, often funny and occasionally dark confrontation as the friends grapple with the very essence of art and truth. Will their friendship withstand their clash of views?

ART, an insightful exploration of how passions and perceptions shape our relationships, won Olivier, Tony and Moliere Awards for Best Comedy. Join Rob Sansom, David Lucas and Kevin Morris as they explore the boundaries between art and reality with wit and intelligence in a play as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.