This March, one of the sharpest, funniest dissections of modern adulthood comes to Singapore as Nine Years Theatre (NYT) stages God of Carnage, Yasmina Reza’s internationally celebrated dark comedy. Running from 20 to 29 March 2026 at The Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre @ Funan, the production promises an evening that begins politely, and ends gloriously unhinged.

If NYT’s sold-out run of Twelve Angry Men proved anything, it’s the company’s knack for turning a single room into a pressure cooker of human behaviour. God of Carnage does exactly that, only this time with four parents, a living room, and a simmering sense that things are about to go very wrong.

The premise sounds almost wholesome. Two young boys have a playground scuffle. Their parents agree to meet “civilly” to resolve the matter like responsible adults. Veronica and Michael host Annette and Alan in their home, armed with coffee-table art books, fresh tulips, and homemade pastries, symbols of refinement and good intentions.

But civility, as it turns out, is fragile. As the evening drags on, cracks begin to show. A phone that won’t stop ringing. A missing hamster. A bottle of excellent rum that perhaps shouldn’t have been opened. What starts as measured conversation quickly slides into personal attacks, ideological sparring, and emotional free fall. By the end, alliances have shifted, masks have dropped, and the living room resembles a battleground.

Winner of both the Tony Award and the Laurence Olivier Award, God of Carnage is celebrated for how mercilessly and hilariously it exposes the thin veneer of social grace we rely on to function.

Directed by Nelson Chia, four-time recipient of The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards for Best Director, this NYT production leans fully into the play’s razor-sharp satire. Chia, who is also NYT’s co-founder and artistic director, is known for extracting emotional truth from tightly wound narratives, and here, he has a cast more than capable of delivering.

The ensemble features four formidable performers: Mia Chee as the morally upright Veronica Goh; Tay Kong Hui as her seemingly easygoing husband Michael; Oon Shu An as the tightly strung Annette Lee; and Cavin Soh as Alan Lee, the smooth-talking lawyer who never quite puts his phone down.

Together, they create a living room that looks calm on the surface but churns with volatility underneath. Every line lands with precision; every pause feels dangerous. The humour is biting, uncomfortable, and deeply recognisable, especially for anyone who has ever tried (and failed) to be the bigger person.

At its core, God of Carnage is about the stories we tell ourselves to feel civilised. The play skewers the idea that education, culture, or good parenting automatically make us better people. Instead, it suggests that under pressure, we are all just one poorly timed comment away from losing control.

There’s something oddly cathartic about watching it unfold. In an age where emotional regulation and polite performance are expected at all times, online and off, this play offers a rare permission slip to laugh at our worst impulses. The characters say the things we think but would never dare to voice. The result is laughter laced with relief.

Language itself becomes a weapon here. Arguments dressed up as ethical concern, cultural superiority, or global awareness cut deeper than outright insults. The more eloquent the phrasing, the sharper the sting. It’s a reminder that cruelty doesn’t always come loudly, it often arrives well-articulated.

If you enjoy smart comedy with sharp teeth, and don’t mind seeing the illusion of good manners gleefully torn apart, this is one theatrical dinner party you won’t want to miss.

God of Carnage plays from 20th to 29th March 2026 at The Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre @ Wild Rice, Funan. Tickets available from SISTIC