Here’s a subjective opinion on a play that deals with subjective opinions. You may agree with it, you may not.

But first some indisputable facts. Yasmina Reza’s award-winning play has been a regular on the touring circuit throughout its 30-year lifespan (starring acting royalty from Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay to Nigel Havers and Jack Dee), and this latest version is helmed RSC alumnus Iqbal Khan.

Set in Paris, the play ostensibly concerns three long-term friends and their mixed opinions about an expensive piece of modern art that one of them has bought. Serge (played by Chris Harper) thinks the borderline blank canvas – a white background with white paint on – is a masterpiece, Marc (Aden Gillett) thinks it’s “sh*t”, while Yvan (comedian Seann Walsh) sits on the fence in an attempt to broker a peace deal between his arguing chums.

He’s almost entirely unsuccessful, as the artwork debate provides the trigger for the characters to question each other’s values and opinions as well as unleash what feels like years of pent-up aggression and vitriol toward one another, which is nasty and hilarious in nowhere near equal measure. There’s an almost spurious subplot about the pretentiousness of the art world, but the real meat is the nature of friendships and whether they can accommodate – or even survive – dramatically opposing views (Brexit and Trump anyone?), the passing of time and well, life.

Like the basic premise, this razor-sharp production, which clocks in at just under 90 minutes, leaves the answer open to debate, but what can’t be questioned is Khan’s super-tight direction, Ciaran Bagnall’s creative set and the uniformly excellent performances of the cast. All coped admirably with a hugely wordy script, particularly Walsh, who had a couple of lengthy monologues and was a revelation in only his second theatrical role.

Not surprisingly the show itself won’t be to everyone’s taste. The play was originally written for French audiences and for the most part the conversations aren’t the sort you’d expect from three Englishmen, but each the characters’ traits all strike a chord and there are nuggets of truth dotted throughout.

That’s my opinion any way. Don’t hate me if yours differs.

4 stars

Reviewed by Steve Adams at the Belgrade Theatre on Tuesday 15 October.