CONSIDERING the number of quality roles he has played in his career, when Nigel Havers tells you that Art is the best modern play he has ever done, you have to take notice.

Nigel will be joined by Denis Lawson and Stephen Tompkinson to bring the award-winning comedy to the Lowry, Salford Quays, at the end of the month.

“It excites me to do the play,” he said. “The audiences love it, it’s brilliantly written and it’s an hour and 20 minutes long which makes it the perfect length for a play.”

Art is the story of three friends - Serge, Marc and Yvan - and how their friendship is affected when art lover Serge buys an expensive painting which is basically a white canvas.

Originally written in French, the play first premiered over 20 years ago and has subsequently been a hit on Broadway and in the West End.

“On paper it shouldn’t work,” said Nigel, who plays Serge. “When they first did it in rehearsal, the actors didn’t know if they wanted to continue with it. They didn’t know if it was going to work or if it was funny.

“But the moment it went in front of an audience, it just developed a life of its own. The genius of the writing shone through immediately.”

Both Nigel and Stephen Tomkinson will be appearing in the production for the second time.

“It was about 18 years ago,” said Nigel, “and at one point we were both rehearsing it but not together. I was getting ready to take it on tour for the first time and Stephen was getting ready to go into the West End. We would rehearse in neighbouring studios and would see each other in the corridor.”

Nigel has fond memories of bringing Art to Manchester the first time round.

“Me, Roger Lloyd Pack and Barry Foster jointly got the best actor in touring company award in the Manchester Theatre Awards for the show so hopefully that bodes well this time,” he said.

Nigel, whose TV roles have ranged from Downton Abbey to Coronation Street and has starred in films including Chariots of Fire and A Passage to India, described Art as “a brilliantly observed study of friendship”.

“It is great fun to do,” he said, “but it is also exhausting to do. It is a real challenge every night, a bit like walking on ice.

“I suppose one of the reasons I love doing it is that it’s not something that you can just breeze through; you have to give it 110 per cent.

“There is no deviation and we are very tight with the script. It’s like a bit of chamber music where you have three instruments all having to work together otherwise the thing falls apart.”

This has led to the three leading men becoming firm friends rather like their characters.

“We have to trust each other when we dive off the diving board into the half empty pool,” said Nigel, “which creates a real bond.”

David Pugh who with Dafydd Rogers is producing the show said: “It is 20 years since Dafydd and I first produced the comedy masterpiece Art in the West End, and the original post-London tour played for 78 weeks.

“This time, we want to break our own record; in fact, we want to play as many theatres as Sir Ken Dodd has played in his wonderful career, and with this marvellous cast, we think we have every chance!”

Art, the Lowry, Salford Quays, Monday, March 26 to Saturday, March 31. Details from 0843 208 6005 or www.thelowry.com