Echo Theatre | Review by Freya Rowell
Bad Manners Delight in a Battle of Spite
22 September 2025
“How many parents standing up for their children become infantile themselves?” asks Annette in Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage. If the play is to be believed, all of them. A revival of Echo theatre’s production in 2022, the French play has been moved to a local Canberra setting, and is a hilarious 90 minutes of unfolding chaos that shows that even the most seemingly well-mannered adults have a spiteful immaturity lying under the surface.
The show opens with two couples meeting to discuss an altercation between their 11-year-old sons where one knocked out two teeth with a stick, a premise which I personally found delightfully relevant having worked both in primary schools and a dental practice. The simple loungeroom set serves as a battleground for the struggle at hand: two opposing couches for the couples to face off; a coffee table with peace offerings of clafoutis, coffee and eventually straight rum; and a central armchair sometimes acting as no man’s land.
As the events unfold in real time, the civil discussion progressively escalates into a catastrophic series of screaming matches, with the casualties including an irreplaceable art catalogue, an ever-vibrating phone, and the dignity of everyone involved. Under direction from Jordan Best the actors handle the pacing masterfully, with fluid conversation, rapid fire insults and pregnant pauses working perfectly to create action that leaves the audience gasping through laughter and shock. The actors have a clear understanding of the often wordy text and deliver each line with clear intention. Jenna Roberts in particular delivers precise jabs through her (at times manic) smile as the “fully evolved … stain-resistant” Veronica.
While setting a show at home can sometimes feel forced or pandering, this production localises itself seamlessly, with a clear attention to detail in the reworking of the script. Cast member Laine Hart reflects in her interview with Her Canberra that the restrained social etiquette that starts the show has a “Canberra politeness” that makes the choice almost natural. Yasmina Reza’s award-winning script, translated into English by Christopher Hampton, balances comedy with a very grounded realism. The alliances between characters are always shifting in entertaining and unpredictable ways: couple vs couple, women vs men, optimists vs cynics. While it does contain some jokes that feel tired, calling marriage a “terrible ordeal” and including moments of I-hate-my-wife comedy, the laughs per minute are high and provide ample opportunities for the cast to bounce off each other in a highly coordinated mess.
Despite its simple setting and small cast, God of Carnage fills the stage with chaos, screaming, and laughter, and shows that even so-called grownups are not always inclined to play together nicely.
Freya Rowell is a Canberra local who is enjoying re-immersing herself in the city’s theatre scene after living in the United Kingdom for 18 months. Having performed in some productions herself over previous years including Sense and Sensibility (Canberra Rep, 2022), Be More Chill (Budding Theatre, 2021) and Oliver! (Queanbeyan Players, 2019), Freya is looking forward to participating from a different perspective with Canberra Youth Theatre Young Critics. Freya has a Diploma of Communication from the University of Canberra.
