The Vallons and the Reilles meet to discuss a playground altercation between their children. Harsh words were exchanged, then fists, then a stick. A tooth is broken. A friendship, perhaps, less easily repaired.

Determined to behave like sensible, civilised adults, the four parents attempt a calm and rational conversation. But beneath the polished manners and carefully chosen words, old resentments, bruised egos and simmering frustrations begin to surface. Every fragile moment of agreement is undone, and the veneer of middle-class respectability gives way to something far more primal.

Yasmina Reza's razor-sharp comedy of manners has captivated audiences worldwide with its merciless dissection of civility, marriage and the chaos lurking beneath polite society.

This production at the Carriageworks Theatre adds a unique twist: two casts will perform across the run in shifting combinations, with some pairings meeting on stage for the first time in front of an audience. Every performance becomes a fresh negotiation. Every performance, a different carnage.