Two sets of parents meet up to discuss a disagreement between their children – but will the grown-ups be able to have a calm, rational debate or will the night descend into hysterics, name-calling, tantrums and chaos?
Two children have a scrap and one is injured. Their parents meet up to sort out the aftermath. That is the crux of God of Carnage, staged at Harborough Theatre the last week of September. It sounds straightforward but the adults’ meeting turns into a worse scenario than their children’s.
It is set in the home of awfully nice Michel and Veronique Valon amidst their precious art books and carefully arranged tulips. Equally ‘civilised’ are their guest Alain and Annette Reilles. But it’s not long before the bourgeois veneer starts to wear thin.
The four-strong cast romped along at a pace, which never slowed, using every word to maximum effect, and each actor impressively remained in character throughout.
Caitlin Mottram was a joy to behold as the arty Veronique with facial expressions extraordinaire. Mark Aspland was perfect as long-suffering husband, Michel, who eventually lost his cool.
Alison Kennerdell and Tom Mackenzie excelled as Annette and Alain and all four exposed their true selves once Michel opened the rum bottle. The apparent civility of the gathering turned out to be a charade, as between them they threw up, swore, argued and virtually came to blows.
Amidst all this there was humour thanks to the excellent script, originally written in French, which lost nothing in translation. Paul Barras and Steve Wilson, the directors, certainly served up a corker to open the new season.
— Edited from Gordon Birch’s review in the Harborough Mail
Veronique Vallon – Caitlin Mottram
Michel Vallon – Mark Aspland
Annette Reilles – Alison Kennerdell
Alain Reilles – Tom Mackenzie
Directed by Paul Barrass
Photography by Peter Crowe
Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com