Yasmina Reza, whose works have been translated and performed all over the world, is one of the most prolific playwrights in present-day France. And yet, her plays are easily accessible to any audience because they deal with people we recognize.  Essentially about middle class individuals who lead boring everyday lives, her plays unmask the rituals of a class-conscious society with a stylish ferocity that is “terribly” entertaining.

This Third Wall Theatre production  represents a new beginning for the Company after a year of absence from the Ottawa scene and this witty and intelligent play, even though it might pose some problems for a Canadian audience, is a good choice for their new season.

Director Ross Manson’s reading of Reza`s nasty little social satire respects all Hampton’s French references  translated from the original Parisian setting, quite unlike the American adaptations that set the play in New York. These changes might have made the production  more palpable for an American audience but I’m sure such changes would remove the satirical essence of this nasty play.  …

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