Written by Yasmin Reza and adapted by Christopher Hampton, Ad Astra's God of Carnage serves as a delightful night of theatre. If I'm honest with you, I hadn't heard of or about this play prior to seeing it live, so just in case you are also in my shoes, I thought I'd provide a brief summary of the plot. Originally written for two heterosexual copies, which I'm so happy that director Jacqueline Kerr transformed, the story revolves around a conversation between couple Elaine and Annette and other couple Michael and Veronica regarding an incident between their two sons, which resulted in one of him losing two of his teeth.
The actors did a superb job in their roles; creating such well-rounded characters each with their own quirks and flaws. Deirdre Grace was shone as Elaine, who played her arrogance in such a humoristic way that you couldn't help but chuckle at her actions, even when they seemingly immoral at times. Helen Ekundayo (Veronica) and Tom Coyle (Michael) were quite the dynamic duo, playing off of each other with such ease. Coyle's characters' snide commentaries on subject of discussion were such a delight and quite often had me shrieking in laughter. So, if you're reading this and you were sitting beside me then I apologise. Sandra Harman played Annette with such groundedness and honesty; a character whose life appeared to be controlled by her insecurities, much like our own.
Kerr additionally created the set, which complimented the ambiance of the piece perfectly with its cream coloured walls and expensive artefacts, retro furniture and fake red roses. B'elanna Hill's sound design fell flat in supporting the world of the characters and I found myself waiting for light scenic ambiance that never came. Whilst the dry wit of the script were a delight, the script ultimately lacked a story or an arc which made me question why the performance was split into two acts when there had been no dramatic shift.
However, although the script could have been better, the acting, direction and design of the show were of a high calibre and I hadn't laughed that much in a theatre for a long time. If you're up for a night of giggles, this show is the one for you.
Rating: 4 stars
God of Carnage | Ad Astra
Director | Jacqueline Kerr
Plays until 12 September | https://www.adastracreativity.com/
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