God of Carnage – A Ballarat National Theatre Production

The Tony Award Winning Play by Yasmina Reza. Directed by Ruby Abbott.

After the event of school yard bullying, four parents differing views may have just created cause for another round; adults edition.

God of Carnage is a one act black comedy play. It won best comedy at the 2009 Tony Awards and the 2009 Laurence Olivier Awards.

The play begins with Michael and Veronica, parents of young Henry, inviting Alan and Annette, parents of Benjamin, to their home to discuss the horrifying event that occurred on the playground that morning.

Eleven-year-old Henry refused to let classmate Benjamin join his gang. Not taking this dismissal lightly, Benjamin armed himself with a stick and knocked out Henry’s two front teeth.

With polite niceties wearing thin, the audience watches four very different people try to resolve this matter, convincing each other that it was not the fault of their own son, rather that of the other. With accusations being hurled around the room, the argument heats up even further when evaluating matters of racism, sexism and homophobia. By evening’s end, the gloves are well and truly off, with the adults behaving in a manner that is eerily similar to that which occurred on the playground.