Art to close in New York

Frank Skinner has just joined the London cast of Art

Award-winning play Art, which has just added comedian Frank Skinner to its London cast, is to close in New York after more than 600 performances.

The show tells the story of three men whose friendship is tested when one of them buys an expensive painting which appears to be a blank white canvas.

Written by Yasmina Reza, it opened in London in October 1996 to rave reviews, and opened at New York's Royale Theatre in March 1998 with the cast of Alan Alda, Victor Garber and Alfred Molina.

It recouped its initial investment in just six weeks, at a time when most New York plays closed in debt.

One of the show's producers is actor Sean Connery, whose wife convinced him to back the play after seeing an early production.

Last year the play caused a sensation at the Tony Awards when it beat the hotly-tipped The Beauty Queen of Leenane for best play.

Judd Hirsch, who has starred in both the London and New York productions of Art, will be among the actors taking the play on a tour of the US, starting in San Francisco in September.

In London, the play opened with a new cast on Tuesday. It features comedian Frank Skinner in the role of Yvan, alongside Art Malik and Nicholas Woodeson.