Orpheus Descending – The Cockpit Theatre, London

The creative decision to embody Uncle Pleasant, the play’s enigmatic narrator, as a spiritual African drummer (played by the compelling Yaw Osafo-Kantanka) is nothing short of brilliant. Perched “in the gods,” his percussive presence isn’t just a clever device; it’s a visceral, echoing heartbeat that cleverly drowns out the casual venom of racial slurs and acts as a constant, looming reminder of the South’s pervasive darkness. This ingenious touch underscores the play’s racial tensions far more effectively than the slightly heavy-handed visual cue of darkening the townsfolk’s eyes, which feels largely unnecessary given the dialogue’s stark clarity.

The minimalist stage design is a triumph of necessity, proving that a simple setting with only essential props can be profoundly effective. It wisely puts the focus squarely on Williams’ dense, poetic language and the actors tasked with delivering it.

The central narrative, set in Jabe Torrance’s dry goods store, quickly establishes a suffocating atmosphere of bigotry and repression. Josh Beckman, as the bigoted Jabe and Madison Coppola, as his embittered wife, Lady, anchor this stifling world. Lady’s backstory is that she married for financial stability and standing within the community, but it is a loveless marriage. She is bitter toward her husband for taking part in the burning down of her father’s vineyard by the townsfolk after he sold liquor to a Black man. And this provides a potent undercurrent to her burgeoning, desperate attraction to the arriving drifter, Valentine Xavier.

Jonathan Aarons delivers a commendable performance as Val, channelling a compelling Elvis-esque charisma that makes his character’s reflective yearning for meaning genuinely believable. He navigates this demanding role with admirable energy. However, the crucial romantic chemistry between Aarons’ Val and Coppola’s Lady never quite ignites with the necessary passion. While Coppola plays the character admirably, she doesn’t quite capture Lady’s torment and fluffs one too many lines.

The saving grace of this production, much like the original play, lies in the incandescent dialogue between Val and the three women he encounters: Lady, the rebellious Carol (Daisy Hargreaves), and the visionary Vee (Grace Wallis). After the scenes in the opening act, Hargreaves, as the sexually confident outsider whose untamed spirit vividly contrasts with the town’s suffocating norms, settles more confidently into the character which hitherto had felt over-egged. Wallis’s portrayal of Vee, the sheriff’s devout wife whose spiritual visions blind her, is nuanced, particularly in exploring the thin line between religious zealotry and a deeper capacity for love, but again lacks visceral sexual longing.

These conversations, exploring themes of sexual repression, male violence, religious obsession, and the search for profound connection, are where the production truly comes alive, elevated by some truly beautiful, symbolic language (the description of legless birds that sleep on the wing is particularly memorable). It’s a shame then that, whilst these are the most enjoyably attention-holding scenes of the play, overall there is a lack of passion, desire and deep longing.

Unfortunately, the peripheral characters often feel underdeveloped, a weakness in the original script exacerbated here by performances that, at times, veer into unnecessarily excessive, even shrieking territory. The attempts at comedy, which should organically emerge from Williams’ writing, often feel overdone and detract from the oppressive atmosphere the play so effectively builds. This makes the first act’s already “rambling” qualities feel even more pronounced. The final act, however, is a gripping payoff. Following the interval, the production builds genuine tension as the foretold Greek tragedy unfolds.

Be warned, the run time clocks in at closer to 2 hours 45 minutes, significantly longer than advertised. This leads to audible grumbles from those in the less-than-comfortable rear seats. And in anticipation of the upcoming heatwave, bring water – the auditorium is already rather warm.

Runs until June 29th 2025

The Reviews Hub Score

Tennessee Williams’ tragedy