God of Carnage Review Ayr Gaiety Theatre (2026) Compass Club
Yasmina Reza's play God of Carnage is set in a middle-class couples living room in Glasgow.
There are two couples both meeting to discuss the violent behaviour of their sons who got in to a fight in Kelvingrove Park one knocking the others teeth out.
The meeting of parents starts off civil, however becomes an evening of verbal swipes, caustic remarks and home truths. And that's before the whisky is opened as they get drunker the original point of the meeting is forgotten about and they become just as bad as children in the playground.
This is a four hander and all the cast cope extremely well for such a wordy play. Acting drunk is a difficult thing to do, often it's played stereotypically however to do it well it needs to be reigned in. Allowing outbursts to be caustic and biting. This cast under the direction of Scott Hutchison do it perfectly allowing the script to shine through.
It's actually quite a hilarious play, there is so much all the characters have pent up for so many years, all managing to vent in the space of 90 minutes. I only hope Saturdays audience realise there is as much comedy and laugh more!
There is one extremely funny and revolting scene that is so well played you can't but help to guffaw.
Well done Compass Club