The play was directed by Tony Richardson, the set and costumes were designed by Audrey Cruddas and the music was by Thomas Eastwood.
[2] Set in an African state, the play follows Frederick Compton, a British civil engineer, as he builds a much-needed dam that provides water to the local population.
Unable to abandon the locals to a godless future, Frederick and his wife, Elizabeth, decide to invent a new god, named Moo, inspired by the cows that wander into their colonial bungalow’s garden.
The new religion becomes institutionalized, adopting practices similar to established cults, complete with fundraising efforts and a constructed history.
Eventually, the Comptons’ son assumes the role of the prophet, and the story culminates in the notion that religions often require blood sacrifices and thrive on the fervor of their followers.