Agamemnon by Steven Berkoff @ theSpaces on North Bridge

"Blood feeds on blood," resounds with Macbeth's "blood will have blood". Berkoff may not be Shakespeare, but he certainly comes damn close.

Muchmuchmore Theatre presents Steven Berkoff's Agamemnon, a piece intense enough to match up to the tragedies of old.

The story begins with Thyestes - brother to Atreus - who is invited to dine at his sibling's table. The stew and meat, however, are no ordinary dish; in them, he finds "a bone belonging to no animal known to man". This is because Atreus kills and serves up Thyestes' own children - a venomous vengeance for Thyestes having an affair with his wife. This atroctiy is what sets the curse on the House of Atreus.

The scene then shifts to the 'present', where Agamemnon is making preparations to wage war on Troy. The audience walks with him from the sacrifice of his daughter Iphigenia to his triumphant return to Argos. Meanwhile, in his absence, his wife Clytemnestra plots revenge with Aegisthus, Agamemnon's cousin.

Revenge is the driving force throughout the play, as is the power of desire. Clytemnystra, almost another Lady Macbeth, is propelled by her desire for Justice, yet is she avenging her daughter or her injured pride?

Flowing motions accompany words, while sharp poses strike the occasional contrast. The sparsely clad figures move as one or are used to furnish the frugal set, linking to form thrones or depict battlements. The lighting lends itself to complement the physicality of the performance, shifting from surreal green and blues to sterile white and grimy red.

The use of physical movement along with descriptive, lyrical narrative allow for a dramatic build up. However, it sometimes feels as though the play lingers too long on some words and phrases. Delaying the action and throwing off the pace once too often, this means that the tense climax at the end is not as suspense-ridden as it could be.

Ambitious work for such a young company, and yet well-performed. Perhaps my confusion lies in knowing the myth too well to subscribe to Berkoff's approach to the tale.