The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre has announced casting for its forthcoming revival of comedy God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza.
The cast stars Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who, Dreamland) as Veronique Vallon, with Ariyon Bakare (His Dark Materials) as Alain Reille, Dinita Gohil (The Father and the Assassin) as Annette Reille, and Martin Hutson (Small Island) as Michel Vallon.
Directed by Nicholai La Barrie, the play is translated by Christopher Hampton (The Third Man), with design by Lily Arnold, lighting design by Richard Howell, sound design and composition by Asaf Zohar, and casting by Heather Basten CDG.
God of Carnage is playing at the Lyric Hammersmith from 1 to 30 September 2023.
Director Nicholai La Barrie said: “God of Carnage pokes fun at wealth, power and money. It lifts the lid on civility which is immensely funny to watch. I couldn’t be luckier to be joined by some of the UK’s most phenomenal actors, including Freema Agyeman, Ariyon Bakare, Dinita Gohil and Martin Hutson. I can’t wait to see this stellar cast breathe new meaning and relevance into these already iconic roles. From the moment I read this play, I imagined it to be a reflection of the cosmopolitan cities that we live in. We’re obsessed with the idea of social respectability, good manners and behaving in a civilised way. But what happens when those people who declare themselves as respectable, act in the very opposite way? God of Carnage will feel like sweet revenge for audiences. You’ll recognise these characters, and you’ll revel in their carnage.”
Actor Freema Agyeman said: “I am beyond thrilled to be returning to the London stage, and where better than the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, with its incredible history and tradition – a space where consistently solid, inclusive and high calibre work is created and shared. I’m also happy to be staying in the genre of dark comedy post Dreamland – God of Carnage made me gasp and guffaw in equal measure! I look forward to performing in this play alongside the fantastic cast and am very excited to be working with director Nicholai La Barrie whose enthusiasm is infectious!”
Book tickets to God of Carnage at the Lyric Hammersmith in London
