By Phillipe Blake
A large white canvas. A quarter of a million dollars. And three best friends who are about to tear each other apart.
Yasmina Reza’s ART arrives at Brisbane’s QPAC tonight, bringing with it a reputation as one of the sharpest comedies of the 20th century. But while the “white painting” is the catalyst, the play is far more than a debate over modern aesthetics. It is a 90-minute forensic examination of the “white lies” and unspoken tensions that hold long-term friendships together.
A Powerhouse Trio
The Brisbane season offers a rare alignment of Australian acting royalty. Richard Roxburgh stars as the cynical Marc, Damon Herriman as the modernist Serge, and Toby Schmitz as the frantic, peace-seeking Yvan.
The production, directed by Lee Lewis, arrives following a sell-out Sydney run where the trio’s “powerhouse” chemistry was hailed by critics as the perfect engine for Reza’s biting dialogue.
Behind the Shambles: A Conversation with Toby Schmitz
In an exclusive conversation with The Urbanite ahead of tonight’s premiere, Toby Schmitz offered a unique look into the mechanics of the show. Schmitz portrays Yvan, the “middleman” of the group, who frequently finds himself at the centre of his friends’ egos.
“The architecture is right there,” Schmitz says of the play’s endurance over 30 years. He describes the performance as a high-stakes “magic trick” that relies on the spontaneity between the three actors. This reliance is most evident in Yvan’s legendary wedding-drama monologue—a four-page feat of verbal gymnastics that Schmitz admits to rehearsing four or five times a day, even in the shower, to keep the “muscle memory” sharp.
- The Origins of Yvan: Schmitz views the character not just as a victim, but as a man struggling with a certain “laziness” in his middle age.
- The “Honorary Queenslander”: Having performed in Brisbane since 2000, Schmitz noted the city’s “generosity” and the way local audiences turn out in droves for world-class theatre.
Read the full exclusive interview with Toby Schmitz here:
Why It Matters in 2026
Though written in the 1990s, the play’s exploration of shifting status and interpersonal friction remains timeless. As Schmitz puts it, the play asks, “Do we really tell the truth to our friends? Should we?“
Whether you see a masterpiece or a joke on that canvas, the real art is the performance unfolding in front of it.
Production Details
- Venue: Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane.
- Season: 11 March – 22 March 2026.
- Tickets: From $89 at arttheplay.com.au.
