I’d like to take out my red pen and edit Desire Under the Elms; it dawdles and is unhurried at times.
Take the opening scene, which is a very elongated setup: a father who drove off in a cart, whereabouts unknown; two sons who want to escape the hard farm life; and their half-brother who wants the farm for himself.
The two sons who want to escape, spoiler alert, do so soon after and never return, and barely get a mention in the rest of the play.
You could easily reference that they’ve gone and why without having the long debate about life and whether they should or shouldn’t go.
Things pick up when the father, Ephraim (Antony Byrne), returns with his new, young, third wife, Abbie (Kelly Gough), who immediately starts flirting with his son Eben (Zachary Momoh).
Is it a calculated move on Abbie’s part, or is she genuinely in love? Will they get found out? This is the central tension in the story, which slowly plays out.
The production is very stylised at times, with sequences of movement and slo-mo choreographed fights. There is no set, just one wooden box later in the play and a bucket hanging above the stage.
The first half is very atmospheric, with beautiful live vocals by Choolwe Laina Muntanga and music that heightens the tension and gives a sense of foreboding.
In the second half, where everything naturally comes to a head, there is a lot of screeching, screaming, imploring and arguing. I’m not sure if it is supposed to be heartbreaking, but the excess of the reactions left me unmoved.
Then there is the fight between Eben and Ephraim. Zachary Momoh is muscular and very strong-looking, and I didn’t quite believe that Antony Byrne would be able to physically overpower him.
Final thoughts
Desire Under The Elms isn’t a challenger for my favourite Eugene O’Neill play. It has an interesting story at its heart with the potential to shock and move, but it’s bogged down with excess dialogue and can’t punch through.
While the movement and music all initially work to create an atmosphere, as the play goes on, I started wanting it to get a move on. It’s getting three stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Desire Under The Elms, Almeida Theatre
Written by Eugene O’Neill
Directed by Ebenezer Bamgboye
Starring: Zachary Momoh, Kelly Gough and Antony Byrne
Running time: 2 hours and 40 minutes including an interval
Booking until 23 December 2026
You may also like
Review: The Lives of Others, Adelphi Theatre, booking until 9 January, 2027
Review: Memoriam, Southwark Playhouse, booking until 21 November
Review: Ilford Boy, Donmar Warehouse, booking until 29 November
Off West End: Theatre on a budget without compromising the view
Review: Some Woman, National Theatre, booking until 21 November
Leave a Reply