SINGAPORE — No one in their right mind would consider watching three adult men bicker over issues bred by years of enmeshed friendship fun, especially when it is sparked by the purchase of a ridiculous-looking painting.

Yet, surprisingly, the Tony Award-winning comedy, Art by Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), turns out to be just that — a hilarious, fun caper of a play, making for a light-hearted evening of culture.

It is an evening of historical significance as well, since the play, in collaboration with the National Gallery Singapore, is staged in the iconic City Hall Chamber where then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and members of his Cabinet took their Oaths of Allegiance and Oaths of Office on June 5, 1959, followed by the inauguration of Yusof Ishak as Singapore’s first Head of State on Dec 3 the same year.

In fact, one of the actors in the play, Lim Yu-Beng, 50, shared that his father used to work as a judicial commissioner at the former Supreme Court building. “It’s an opportunity to work in the same place he used to, albeit in a very different capacity. And it’s a lovely building, although very different now from what it was when I used to visit him here.”

The sense of history is definitely not lost on the audience with the marble pillars and high ceiling looming over the stylistically modern production set, but neither does it overshadow the play which is a heavyweight on its own.

Acclaimed French playwright Yasmina Reza’s play, Art, premiered at the Comedie des Champs-Elysees in Paris in 1994. It was translated into English by Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons) and has since been performed around the world, winning numerous awards including the Tony Award for Best Play (US), the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Play (UK) and the Moliere Award for Best Play (France). SRT staged the first production in Asia in 1998 to sold-out audiences and is bringing it back this year for the whole month of this month.

Along with Lim, the play also features two other local theatre veterans Gerald Chew and Remesh Panicker. Directed by Danny Yeo, Art explores the themes of what is art, friendship and creativity, and lives up to its name as one of the most successful plays ever written.

The story kicks off with Serge (played by Chew), who buys an expensive piece of modern art — a white canvas crossed by barely visible lines — and refuses to acknowledge it as the real “s**t” it is. Chew demonstrates his pomposity and the need to be accepted with a disarming charm that makes it hard to hate his character. Marc, portrayed by Lim at his typical understated brilliance, hates it and does everything to make his opinion known. Panicker, who is a scene-stealer as a blubbering, henpecked and eccentric Yvan, is caught in the middle. The interactions that unfold bring their friendship into question through arguments, bickering, snarky comments and snappy retorts and even an all-out physical tussle at one point.

While the actors’ attempts at accents seemed confusing at times, the easy chemistry and camaraderie between the cast create a comfortable intimacy that makes you feel as if you were watching your very own crazy friends.

This is not by accident. Although Panicker and Lim are working together for the first time, all three actors have known each other for more than 20 years.

“It was a real pleasure and joy to work with Yu-Beng and Remesh as we have been friends and colleagues for two decades or more. There is that ease and chemistry already inherent in the three friends that we never had to work for,” acknowledged Chew, 53.

Panicker, 55, who played the character Yvan 18 years ago during its first staging alongside Korean-American acting veteran Randall Duk Kim and Singapore household name Lim Kay Tong, shared how thrilled he was to be given another shot at the role. “Art is already in my body of work. I like text-based pieces — in which there is beauty, rhythm, cadence and musicality of the spoken word. Wit. Repartee. Verbal and emotional jousting. Christopher Hampton’s translation of Yazmina Reza’s brilliant play is all this.”

Chew too, expressed similar sentiments, having watched the original production with British thespians such as Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay and Ken Stott. “It has been wonderful to be asked and to work on this production. I first saw the original first production when I was working in London as an actor and really, really loved it, so obviously it’s one of the roles or plays that, as an actor, one dreams about performing.” REENA DEVI

ART is on until Sept 30 at the National Gallery Singapore, City Hall Chamber. Tickets are on sale at Sistic.