God of Carnage

By Yasmina Reza

Cambridge Junction | 27-28 June 2025, 20:00
Ickleton Village Hall, Saffron Walden | 26 June, 19:30
Commemoration Hall, Huntingdon | 20 June, 19:30

In Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage, two seemingly civilized couples meet to resolve a dispute after their children are involved in a playground altercation.

What begins as a polite, controlled conversation quickly devolves into chaos as the adults’ true selves emerge. Reza’s sharp wit and biting dialogue expose the fragility of social norms and the volatility of human nature. As the evening progresses, the veneer of civility peels away, revealing a primal struggle for dominance, exposing personal insecurities, and dismantling carefully constructed facades.

God of Carnage is a darkly comic and provocative exploration of the tensions that exist beneath the surface of everyday life. With a keen eye for the absurdities of human behavior, Reza deftly uncovers the conflict that simmers just below the surface, turning a simple meeting into an explosive examination of our capacity for cruelty, vulnerability, and the breakdown of social order.

Audience feedback for God of Carnage

  • “It was delicious! A masterclass!”

  • “An excruciating evening, but I loved every minute of it. An utterly gripping watch for every moment of its 75 minutes.”

  • “It was, of course, perfect. Now that’s the way to spend an evening – watching first-class drama.”

  • “A quartet of very ‘second circle’ actors playing this comedy of Manners with total dedication and subtle knowingness.”

  • “… the claustrophobia and hostility really simmered.”

  • “I’d happily pay for a full sitcom series and a Christmas special. Just electric!”