Othello REVIEW National Theatre 21Oct2023 ****1/2

 THEATRE 

By National Theatre at Home

Free online until 27 Oct 2023 then on National Theatre at Home online

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkKYT-WwyMQ&t=0s Youtube until 22 OCT UK time

Then https://www.ntathome.com free until 27 Oct

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars:****1/2 (4.5)

This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 28 Oct 2023. KH

Othello National Theatre-Giles Terera, Paul Hilton (image from Youtube)

This National Theatre production of Shakespeare’s Othello, directed by Clint Dyer, belts along like a juggernaut. It opens with Iago (Paul Hilton) leading a band of rowdy and angry men - including Roderigo who Iago has whipped into a jealous frenzy - to inform Brabantio, a Venetian senator, of his daughter Desdemona’s (Rosy McEwen) secret marriage to Othello, the Moor (Giles Terera).

 

Here begins the overt racism against Othello when Iago, Othello’s false friend, bellows, “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe”. Iago sets in motion his vile, treacherous vendetta against Othello for overlooking him for promotion.

 

Terera, who playe Aaron Burr in Hamilton, is passionate, muscular and commanding as Othello, charting a path from love, joy and power to physical and mental breakdown as Othello wrestles with Iago’s poisonous slurs against Desdemona.

 

McEwen’s Desdemona is a feisty, modern woman, equal to her new husband in energy, passion and assured opinions, and she challenges him at every turn. This is no shrinking violet.

 

As Iago, Hilton is venomous, arch and insidious as he executes his cunningly veiled plot to destroy Othello’s spirit and his trust in his precious wife, thus compelling the Moor to murder Desdemona in his misplaced jealousy.

 

A steep bank of starkly lit steps at the rear of the stage (Set, Chloe Lamford; Lighting, Jai Morjaria), leaves the forestage uncluttered for the very physical and rapidly paced action. A chorus (called System in the program) of actors, perch, prowl and posture on the steps, echoing Iago’s vitriolic soliloquys and sniping asides and deeply disguised emotions in their choreographed, abstract movement (Lucie Pankhurst).

 

By virtue of this chorus effect, Iago’s emotional and psychological manipulation of Othello is writ large, with his every dark thought resonating behind him through the chorus.

 

This Othello is inventive, imaginative and potent, highlighting the racial hate speech that is not always as evident in other productions. It shows the total physical and psychological breakdown of this powerful man who would rather kill the one he loves than be betrayed by her.

 

 

by Kate Herbert

 

 

Giles Terera -Othelllo

Rosy McEwen - Desdemona

Paul Hilton -Iago.

 

Jack Bardoe – Roderigo

Tanya Franks -Emilia,

Martin Marquez - Duke of Venice

Jay Simpson- Brabantio

System & Other roles: Joe Bolland, Rory Fleck Byrne, Kirsty J Curtis, Peter

Eastland, Patrick Elue, Colm Gormley, Gareth Kennerley, Joshua Lacey,

Katie Matsell, Amy Newton, Sabi Perez, Steffan Rizzi, Ryan Whittle.

 

 

Creative Team

Director- Clint Dyer

Set Designer- Chloe Lamford

Costume Designer -Michael Vale

Lighting Designer-Jai Morjaria

Sound Design & Composition -Pete Malkin

Sound Design & Composition Benjamin Grant

Co-Composer --Sola Akingbola

Movement Director- Lucie Pankhurst

Co-Video Designer -Nina Dunn

Co-Video Designer -Gino Ricardo Green

Fight Director-Kev McCurdy

Casting -Alastair Coomer CDG

Casting-Naomi Downham

Dramatherapist-Samantha Adams

Associate Director-Mumba Dodwell