Eugene O’Neill on the 1920s London Stages

ABSTRACT This article explores and documents Eugene O’Neill’s plays in 1920s London theater. This entails productions by the Everyman Theatre (repertory), the 1923 West End “Anna Christie” with Pauline Lord, the 1925 Emperor Jones with Paul Robeson, and the experimental productions from expressionistic director Peter Godfrey at the Gate Theatre Studio and the Court Theatre. Additional producers and directors considered include Norman MacDermott, Charles Cochran, and Barry Jackson. Productions at additional theaters, such as the International Stage Society and the Arts Club Theatre are also included. London critics who reviewed and publicized O’Neill’s London plays, such as Arthur Walkley (The Times), E. A. Baughan (Daily News), as well as the unsigned critics of The Stage and The Era papers are also considered. Actors who performed the plays are included. The documentation includes every production of an O’Neill play in London during the 1920s.