God of Carnage

God of Carnage Le Dieu du Carnage
God of Carnage original West End production poster
Written by	Yasmina Reza
Characters	Alain Reille Annette Reille Véronique Houllié Michel Houllié
Date premiered	8 December 2006
Original language	French
Genre	Comedy

God of Carnage (originally Lay Waste To England For Me) is a play by Yasmina Reza. It is about two pairs of parents, one of whose child has hurt the other at a public park, who meet to discuss the matter in a civilized manner. However, as the evening goes on, the parents become increasingly childish, resulting in the evening devolving into chaos. The play was a success in its original language, French, and has been equally acclaimed in its other English-translated productions in both London and New York.

Plot

Before the play begins, two 11-year-old children, Ferdinand Reille and Bruno Houllié (Benjamin and Henry in the Broadway production), get involved in argument because Bruno refuses to let Ferdinand join his 'gang'. Ferdinand knocks out two of Bruno's teeth with a stick. That night, the parents of both children meet to discuss the matter. Ferdinand's father, Alain (Alan in the Broadway production), is a lawyer who is never off his mobile phone. Ferdinand's mother, Annette is in "wealth management" (her husband's wealth, to be precise), and consistently wears good shoes. Bruno's father, Michel (Michael in the Broadway production), is a self-made wholesaler with an unwell mother. Michel's wife, Véronique (Veronica in the Broadway production), is writing a book about Darfur. As the evening goes on, the meeting degenerates into the four getting into irrational arguments, and their discussion falls into the loaded topics of misogyny, racial prejudice and homophobia. One of the central dramatic moments of the play occurs when Annette vomits onstage, all over the coffee table and books.

Production history

Original production

The play was first directed by Jürgen Gosch and performed in Zürich on 8 December 2006. In January 2008, the play was performed in Paris starring Isabelle Huppert and Eric Elmosnino, and in English in London on 25 March 2008, in a translation by Christopher Hampton.

Original London production

Another poster for the original West end production, showing the cast members.

Christopher Hampton's English translation of the play was first presented in a UK Premiere at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End on 25 March 2008. This production was directed by Matthew Warchus and starred Ralph Fiennes, Tamsin Greig, Janet McTeer and Ken Stott. On the opening night of the performance, there was a power failure about an hour into the show. The show therefore had to continue in emergency lighting. The London production was widely acclaimed, receiving the Olivier Award for Best New Play of the year.

2009 Broadway production

Original Broadway Cast

After some minor changes to the English script to accommodate American audiences, a Broadway production opened at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in previews on February 28, 2009, and officially on March 22, 2009. Originally planned for a limited engagement to close July 19, 2009, the run was extended through February 28, 2010 before converting to an open-ended run. From July 27, 2009 to September 8, 2009, the play went dark to allow for the principal cast to tie up prior engagements before returning to fulfill their contracts. Directed once again by Matthew Warchus, the original cast included Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden. All four actors were nominated for Tony Awards for their performances. Harden won the Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Play. The Broadway production closed on June 6, 2010 playing 24 previews and 452 regular performances. It is the third-longest running play of the 2000s (after The 39 Steps and August: Osage County). While receiving mostly positive reviews, the play has also generated some negative reactions. Brendan Lemon of the Financial Times called the play "this piece of shallow arrogance", adding, "I detest the pathetic complicity between this author and her audiences... when I left the theatre, I thought: I’ll never laugh again." Broadway cast replacements include Ken Stott (who had starred in the London production), Christine Lahti, Jimmy Smits, Annie Potts (making her Broadway debut), Jeff Daniels (returning in the role of Michael and not his original role, Alan), Janet McTeer (who had appeared in the London production), Dylan Baker, Lucy Liu (in her Broadway debut).

Other productions

The Romanian premiere took place in 2010 at the Comedy Theater (Teatrul de Comedie) in Bucharest. The play was directed by Lucian Giurchescu, and the actors were Delia Nartea/Teodora Stanciu, Tania Popa, Marius Drogeanu and Alexandru Conovaru.

The Irish premiere took place in February 2011 at the Gate Theatre, Dublin starring Maura Tierney, Ardal O'Hanlon, Owen Roe and Donna Dent, and directed by Alan Stanford. The Chicago Premiere was presented at the Goodman Theatre in March 2011 directed by Rick Snyder. The play has just finished a run at the Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, MN.

God of Carnage had its Puerto Rican premiere on November 4, 2011 at the Tapia Theatre in San Juan starring Cordelia Gonzalez, Braulio Castillo, Jr., René Monclova and Luisa de los Ríos, and directed by Alina Marrero.

Film adaptation

Main article: Carnage (2011 film)

Roman Polanski directed the 2011 film adaption of God of Carnage, whose title was shortened to Carnage. The film was shot in Paris, due to Polanski's outstanding criminal conviction in the United States, but the play's Brooklyn setting is retained in the film. Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly play Penelope and Michael, while Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet play Alan and Nancy.

Awards and nominations

2009 Olivier Awards

• Best New Play (WINNER)

2009 Tony Awards

• Best Play (WINNER)
• Best Leading Actor in a Play - Jeff Daniels (Nomination)
• Best Leading Actor in a Play - James Gandolfini (Nomination)
• Best Leading Actress in a Play - Hope Davis (Nomination)
• Best Leading Actress in a Play - Marcia Gay Harden (WINNER)
• Best Direction of a Play - Matthew Warchus (WINNER)

External links

• Listing at Whats On Stage
• Internet Broadway Database listing
• Article on theatremania.com
• Giguere, Amanda. The Plays of Yasmina Reza on the English and American Stage.