Multigenerational theatre is clearly at the forefront of the Sydney theatre scene at the moment. With 4000 Miles playing at the Sydney Theatre Company and Aria playing at the Ensemble Theatre, all the major theatres in Sydney are currently showcasing some form of an multigenerational storyline. After Belvoir St Theatre’s incredible success with the now-globetrotting Counting and Cracking, it was no surprise that they sought out a play with a similar formula (albeit on a smaller scale) towards the start of their 2025 season. 

Song of First Desire first premiered in Spain in 2023, with this production being the Australian premiere. It follows two storylines, one of Alejandro, played by Borja Maestre, who helps siblings Julia (Kerry Fox) and Carlos (Jorge Muriel) undertake housework and look after their mother (Sarah Peirse) and the other telling of the story of the heart-wrenching choice of a mother in the midst of the Spanish Civil War who has to choose between her son and her daughter and the impact of that choice on the rest of her life. 

It is an interesting and emotional premise, but it lacks the same bite or critical commentary that made Counting and Cracking so special. The play is too short to explore the contextual detail of its setting in a comprehensive manner and yet, it still seems to drag, especially before the interlocking of the two storylines becomes clear. 

The acting is strong throughout, with Maestre particularly earnest in his disposition and compelling in his storytelling however, the cast is not given much with which to work as the story becomes quite repetitive and there is not much scope for the emotion that the subject of the play demands. The play also relies on some tropes which could be construed as offensive to some in the audience, leaving those watching with a feeling of unease at points in the production (and not due to the contextual subject matter). 

Ultimately, the problem with the play lies in the fact that it is situated in a context that is largely foreign to Australians and does not provide sufficient context or universality to create any real sense of relevance. While playwright Andrew Bovell drew comparisons between the context of his play to the treatment of First Nations Australians in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, there is quite simply not enough in the play to meaningfully interrogate this comparison or draw any message from the production beyond the obvious. To make this point, the play would need to do a lot more to bring the audience into its world, which, for an Australian audience, it does not. 

The pacing of the play also lets it down to some degree, spanning nearly two hours without an interview. The nature of the production and its intertwined narratives means that it is difficult for an audience to maintain focus for this long, especially without sufficient signposting of the context, leaving the actors with a lot to do as they attempt to remedy a dragging narrative. 

In recent years, Belvoir St Theatre has had an almost infallible success rate with their productions, with superb work produced across a variety of genres and styles. This play is a return to one of their most successful formulas, but, unfortunately, in this format, it just doesn’t quite land. The writing does not quite live up to the context nor does it signpost the historical background necessary to fully understand and engage with the production. While the acting is very strong, and at points is truly outstanding, the performers simply have too much to do to engender a compelling connection to a storyline that lacks universality. In some circumstances, this would not be a problem, but, with this production, it is perhaps a bridge too far.  

Rating: ★★★

Song of First Desire plays at the Belvoir St Theatre until 23^rd March 2025. For more information, click here.

All photo credits: Brett Boardman