‘The God of Carnage has ruled since the dawn of time’- so will he rule the Rep?

God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza explores what happens when parents turn to playground politics.

Two 11-year-old boys, Bruno and Ferdinand, have had a set-to in the playground, resulting in the use of a stick and the loss of two front teeth.

The parents of the boy who has been hit are concerned that the other boy should understand what he has done, and want to know his parents are dealing with the situation in a satisfactory manner.

They have invited the other parents over for a discussion about how the incident should be handled. They have never met before, but, of course, as adults, will behave impeccably in order to set an example to the rascals. The evening starts with calm and rational debate, but soon disintegrates into a slanging match featuring name-calling, tantrums and tears.

The play, originally written in French, inspired the 2011 film Carnage, starring Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet, and now Dunstable Rep are taking the tale to the stage.

Director Anne Blow said: “Yasmina Reza’s play starts as a gentle comedy of manners and then the comedy gets broader and broader until it just about reaches farce levels by the end. Very funny, very clever, and well worth an evening of your lives.

“The evening features tulips and home-made clafoutis, too much top quality rum, an overused phone, a hairdryer, art books, perfume and, at the centre of it all, an unseen stick which has connected with two (now broken) teeth.”

As one of the fathers in the play says: “I believe in the God of Carnage. He has ruled, uninterruptedly, since the dawn of time.”

God of Carnage won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2008.

From September 28 - October 5 at The Little Theatre in Dunstable.