BNT brings carnage to the BMI

BALLARAT National Theatre is preparing to bring a riotous night of chaos to the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute this October with God of Carnage by French playwright Yasmina Reza.

It’s a one-act black comedy play that took out Best Comedy at the 2009 Tony Awards and the 2009 Laurence Olivier Awards.

The fast-paced satire unpacks social politeness, with the upcoming production directed by Ruby Abbott and featuring Samantha White as Veronica, Benj Beatty as Michael, Melissa Lawrence as Annette and Tim Constantine as Alan.

The plot unfolds when two couples meet to discuss a playground incident between their children and set out with good intentions, espresso, and restraint.

But as the evening unfolds, civility gives way to passive aggression, power plays and emotional carnage, exposing just how thin the surface of adulthood can be.

The play opens with Michael and Veronica, parents of young Henry, inviting Alan and Annette, parents of Benjamin, to their home to discuss what happened on the playground that morning.

Eleven-year-old Henry refused to let classmate Benjamin join his gang.

Not taking this dismissal lightly, Benjamin armed himself with a stick and knocked out Henry’s two front teeth.

With polite niceties wearing thin, the audience watches four very different people try to resolve matters, convincing each other it was not the fault of their own son, rather that of the other.

With accusations being hurled around, the argument heats up when evaluating matters of racism, sexism and homophobia.

By evening’s end, the gloves are well and truly off, with the adults behaving in a manner eerily similar to that which occurred on the playground.

Yasmina Reza is a French playwright, actress, novelist and screenwriter and many of her brief satiric plays have reflected on contemporary middle-class issues.

Abbott is a local creative artist, working as an actor, director, and producer, and God of Carnage marks her full-length directorial debut.

Abbott has previously been involved in many productions in Ballarat and surrounds and has performed several times with Ballarat National Theatre.

The show runs from 16 to 19 October with five performance dates in the Minerva Space at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute.