After The Applause

This superbly clever block-buster production of Othello takes Shakespeare’s story to a whole new level!

West End and Shakespeare tend to be a very complicated pairing, sometimes productions are too simplistic and don’t offer much and other times they are too complicated or strive to be too artistic that it doesn’t comprehend with the audience. The announcement of this production was exciting, a superb cast, music by a renowned musician, but would it combine?

I truly think it did and I believe that the negative critical reviews for this production are a little cruel.

Firstly, I absolutely adore the clever direction by Tom Morris as he manages to flip and abridge the text in a way that sort of phrases Toby Jones’ Iago as the main character. He utilises the talents of Jones to create a very different feeling Othello, as he squeezes moments of humour from the script that often aren’t there in other productions. I believe this is a main component of what makes this incarnation of Othello brilliantly unique!

I thought the set by Ti Green was just breathtaking and I must say the scene that is set at sea with the storm was one of my most notable theatrical moments I have seen, as the large golden frames fall and morph and as the lighting flurries around the actors desperate movement. It was splendid and I enjoyed how from that moment on, the set was very simplistic, using lighting rigs in the second half to foreshadow and get the audience to anticipate the moment of Desdemona’s murder

The cast are brilliant, lead by five superb actors in David Harewood, returning as Othello in brilliant fashion, Caitlin Fitzgerald, a superbly powerful Desdemona, Luke Treadaway as a confused Cassio, Vinette Robinson has a brilliant portrayal of Emilia and Toby Jones as the sly Iago.

Jones was standout in this production, absolutely standout. He was funny and cunning and the true embodiment of evil in the final scenes, even the way Jones stood exuded evil connotations. The way he said ‘I am not what I am’ gave me goosebumps, it was frightening and was the true beginning of a wonderful performance.

Harewood plays Othello as an unwavering and scarily furious individual, again he goes along the trend of portraying Othello in a slightly different way to give this production some edge and I really think it works.

I have to applaud Robinson who took Emilia to another level, she seemed like she had a lot of power at times and I felt like her Emilia was different (again) to how you would usually see her portrayed.

I think what also made this production was the running motifs of music underscoring each scene, composed by PJ Harvey and Jon Nicholls, that made this theatrical production feel like a movie. It added a lot to each scene, especially the end as the music swelled and crescendoed till the moment of Othello’s death.

MY VERDICT:

Blockbuster Shakespeare, that’s what this was. It spun Shakespeare in a way that still made it enjoyable for the audience. I thought it was a marvellously put together production and do implore you to go see it! I do think that the critics were too harsh as the production design was stunning, the casting was perfect and this felt a really special production of Othello.

It runs at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until January 17th. There is still availability, i would highly recommend this!