''The Making of Moo'' is a play by

Nigel Dennis Nigel Forbes Dennis (16 January 1912 – 19 July 1989) was an English writer, critic, playwright and magazine editor. Life Born at his grandfather's house in Surrey, England, Dennis was the son of Lt.-Col. Michael Frederic Beauchamp Dennis, DS ...

satirizing religion. It was first performed by the

English Stage Company The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...

at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

on 25 June 1957, and starred

George Devine George Alexander Cassady Devine (20 November 1910 – 20 January 1966) was an English theatrical manager, director, teacher, and actor based in London from the early 1930s until his death. He also worked in TV and film. Early life and education ...

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play ''Look Back in Anger'' tra ...

, John Moffatt and

Joan Plowright Joan Ann Olivier, Baroness Olivier, (née Plowright; born 28 October 1929), professionally known as Dame Joan Plowright, is an English retired actress whose career has spanned over seven decades. She has won two Golden Globe Awards and a Ton ...

. The play was directed by

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director and producer whose career spanned five decades. In 1964, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film ''Tom Jones (1963 film ...

, the set and costumes were designed by

Audrey Cruddas Audrey Cruddas (1912–1979) was an English costume and scene designer, painter and potter. Biography Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Cruddas moved to England with her parents when she was an infant. After leaving school she studied art at ...

and the music was by Thomas Eastwood. The first London revival of ''The Making of Moo'' was staged at the

Orange Tree Theatre The Orange Tree Theatre is a 180-seat theatre at 1 Clarence Street, Richmond in south-west London, which was built specifically as a theatre in the round. It is housed within a disused 1867 primary school, built in Victorian Gothic style. Th ...

in November 2009.

Summary

The play is set in a British colony where a hydroelectric dam is being built. As a result of the dam's construction the natives believe that their local river god has been killed. In order to placate them, the engineer, his wife and his assistant create a new religion based around an invented deity, Moo, with themselves taking on the role of priests.

List of characters

(With original cast) * Ist Native (

Anthony Creighton Anthony Creighton (1922, Swanage – 22 March 2005), a British actor and writer, is best known as the co-author of the play ''Epitaph for George Dillon'' with John Osborne. He served in the RAF during the war as a navigator on bomber aircra ...

) * 2nd Native/Mr Fosdick (

Robert Stephens Sir Robert Graham Stephens (14 July 193112 November 1995) was a leading English actor in the early years of Britain's Royal National Theatre. He was one of the most respected actors of his generation and was at one time regarded as the natur ...

) * 3rd Native/Walter ( John Wood) * Constable (

James Villiers James Michael Hyde Villiers (29 September 1933 – 18 January 1998) was an English character actor. He was particularly known for his plummy voice and ripe articulation. He was a great-grandson of the 4th Earl of Clarendon. Early life Villie ...

) * Donald Blake (

) * Elizabeth Compton (

) * Fairbrother ( John Moffatt) * Frederick Compton (

) * Sergeant ( Nicholas Brady) * William (

Martin Miller Martin Miller may refer to: *Martin Miller (actor) (1899–1969), Czech actor *Martin Miller (cricketer, born 1940), English cricketer *Martin Miller (cricketer, born 1972), English cricketer *Martin Miller (footballer) (born 1997), Estonian footbal ...

) * Willis (

Stephen Dartnell Stephen Thomas Dartnell (died 1994) was a British actor, who appeared in several television programmes. He is best known for his two 1964 appearances in the first season of ''Doctor Who''. He portrayed Yartek, leader of the Voord, in ''The Key ...

) {{DEFAULTSORT:Making of Moo 1957 plays