“The focus is on the actors. And what a powerhouse cast they are.”
Con Nats
4.5 Stars or equivalent
The latest NT Live production is another of Shakespeare’s ‘big four’. This time it’s Othello, and a return to a more classic retelling of this timeless tale of a man’s descent into jealousy and madness.
Othello is lush with dialogue and deception and apparently is one of Shakespeare’s shorter plays. At almost 3 hours, don’t believe it.
The staging is simple. There are so few props, that when a bed is used for the final scene, it feels like a surprise. The back drop in dark and the floor looks marble. Columns and picture frames are used for Venice and screens for Cyprus. Only when they land in Cyprus is there a dramatic staging. This keeps the focus on the actors, with good reason. (If you don’t have an OBE, you have to be good to make this production.)
David Harewood OBE as Othello is commanding. He fills the stage with his presence and projection. He plays him in a regal style and with passion; his fatal flaw, and his decline is dramatic. Harewood played this role 30 years ago and was the first black actor to play Othello in a London production. Now he is surrounded by them.
Caitlin FitzGerald (Succession, Masters of Sex) plays Desdemona with a sense of feminist strength, even though Shakespeare didn’t treat his female characters very fairly. She is an excellent counter to Othello and gives a sprightly performance that transitions to a moving despair. Even though she is an older version of the character, she is also a stronger one.
Vinette Robinson as Emilia may not physically look like Iago’s wife, her performance is another stand out. Her soliloquy talking about men was powerful and she is a key counter to the stifling masculinity and racism of the play.
The key role in Othello is Iago, the Machiavellian Lieutenant. Toby Jones OBE is brilliant. He has that hang-dog face that makes him look unthreatening and believable when manipulating those around him. His earnest delivery and evil honesty are what makes this production work so well. He doesn’t need to exaggerate his dishonesty. He states it, and performs it, with simple (dis)honesty. And he works so well with Harewood, he makes Othello’s decline look natural. He elicits empathy rather than revulsion in his decline, as Jones gives him the motivation to rage.
All the other support characters are excellent. Luke Treadaway as Casio is honest; Tom Byrne as Rodrigo is innocent and guiless and Rose Riley is lascivious as Bianca. Even Peter Guiness as Brabantio impresses in his brief role. The casting is spot on.
Tony Morris OBE directs this with clarity and respect to the original text. The classy looking costumes are set around the time of WWII and he uses PJ Harvey for sound, although it is sparse. The focus is on the actors. And what a powerhouse cast they are.
4.5 Handkerchiefs
Con Nats, On The Screen
