On Aug. 1, Yasmina Reza's hit play Art celebrates its 2000th performance at the Wyndham's Theatre in London. Hailed as the play for the 90's, Art has since proved that it will last well into the 21st Century.

The production has been playing at Wyndham's Theatre since its opening in 1996. It was a huge success and won playwright Yasmina Reza an Olivier Award and an Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy. Having caused such a stir in London, Art transferred to Broadway a couple of years later where it went on to win both the Tony Award and the New York Critics Award for Best Play.

The play was first produced in Paris, at the Comédie des Champs Elysées, in 1994. Sean Connery went to see this production and liked it so much that he decided to back an English-language production. He and co-producer David Pugh asked the renowned playwright Christopher Hampton to translate the script.

Art has made its name in many parts of the globe and has already been performed in Chicago, New York, Sydney, Los Angeles and Buenos Aires and is currently touring the USA.

The current cast at the Wyndham's Theatre includes Judd Hirsch, Joe Morton, and Richard Thomas, who have all previously appeared in Art on Broadway. They are the 20th cast of the play in London, and today they will mark their place in Art's success as they ring in the 2000th performance. —By Theatrenow