'Art' to close through lack of high-profile actors

The award-winning play Art is to close after nearly seven years because the producers say they cannot find enough high-profile actors.

Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith from the television comedy The League of Gentlemen will form the final company.

Art, which has been one of the biggest hits in the West End, began with a celebrated cast of Tom Courtenay, Albert Finney and Ken Stott. It later starred such famous names as Patrick Duffy of Dallas, Nigel Havers, Frank Skinner and Jamie Theakston.

But David Pugh, the producer, said that finding suitable actors to prolong the momentum of the bitter-sweet comedy was difficult and it would close on 4 January.

"I think it is as important to maintain the same standards as when the show opened. The audience are still paying as much," he said. "We wanted to go out on a high and we're very excited about the League of Gentlemen appearing. We will go out with full houses and a very good cast.

"We've always managed to keep the box office up by always having a name cast, but I got to a point where I couldn't maintain the calibre."

Business was always good, he said, but audiences were not as large as five years ago when the play – about three friends who fall out over a piece of modern art – was required viewing. "We could have continued for another year but I wanted to go out with it still as fresh as the first night," Mr Pugh said. The show, at the Whitehall Theatre, has won best comedy in the Olivier Awards. The New York production won Tony and New York Critics' awards.