God of Carnage

God of Carnage
By Yasmina Reza. Directed by Lynne Devenish. Garrick Theatre, Guildford WA. Aug 23 - Sep 14. 2013

God of Carnage opens abruptly as would be expected in what was designed to be a one act play. We meet Veronique and Michel Vallon and Annette and Alain Reille who are meeting (ostensibly in a calm and civilised way) to discuss an altercation between their sons.

The home of the Vallons was simple and elegant and the small touches that alluded to Veronique's interests such as art books and African art, were well selected. Simple but appropriate choices were made with other design elements including costumes, lighting and sound. Kudos to the very young sound operator, Elizabeth McAskil (following Mike McAllan's design) for perfect sound timing.

This is a good translation of Yasmina Reza's script by Christopher Hampton, that noticeably retains its French origin. Its Parisian setting is prominent both from within the script and in the style of this production. It is a pleasant change from our English language dominated fare and adds emphasis to the universal nature of God of Carnage's theme.

Sherryl Spencer delivered an excellent performance in the role of idealistic Veronique; She worked beautifully with onstage husband Jarrod Buttery, playing very effectively outside type, whose top-notch comic timing meant he was a worthy foil.

Anna Head felt very French as Annette, in a strong, impressive performance, while Dean McAskil's polished performance as work obsessed lawyer Alain belied his shortened rehearsal period.

This well-balanced cast kept the action and pace swift. Although I felt it was a shame hat Garrick decided to interrupt the action by adding an interval, the place chosen was well selected and the action resumed with appropriate force.

This was a tight performance that was comfortable to watch, despite confronting subject matter. An interesting and entertaining night.

Kimberley Shaw

Images: (top) Sherryl Spencer and Jarrod Buttery & (lower) L to R Sherryl Spencer, Jarrod Buttery, Anna Head and Dean McAskil.

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