The Neptune Theatre is getting ready to officially begin a run of Yasmina Reza's international, award-winning play Art. This is a comedy of manners, an examination of the politics of friendship, and a postmodern excoriation of the pretentious world of high art.

Here's the essential plot and some of the critical reaction. There are three friends. One of them spends 200,000 francs on an all white painting. How can an all white painting be art? "This is not some irrelevant fringe production," said The Guardian. "It is a major intervention in the cultural debate of the country by people who are keen to keep the reactionary tides running. It is probably the most sustained attack on modernism yet seen on the British stage, and it represents a stern challenge to the brilliant success story of British contemporary art."

So what is the white canvas? To one of the characters "it's a piece of shit." To another it's art because the artist said it was art. And then there's the relationship, the personal meaning the viewer assigns to the painting. What do you think about contemporary art? Do you think it's all concept and theory, devoid of any actual artistry? Or do you think the function of art is to engage the intellect, whether it's a pet rock or a white canvas? This is an old artistic debate. Recall The National Gallery of Canada's contentious purchase of Voice of Fire by American painter Barnett Newman.

Art was originally written in French by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton. It's won the 'Best New Comedy' awards at both the 1997 Olivier Awards and the 1996 Evening Standard Awards; as well as the Molière Award in Paris and a Tony in New York.