Shakespeare's Words are Centre Stage in Pared-Back Production

The Company of Othello. Photo by Johan Persson.

Othello by William Shakespeare, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until 23 November. Directed by Tim Carroll.

Review by Julie Chamberlain.

This visually and aurally stunning production gives a new and special look to this familiar tragedy.

The characters are dressed in costume suitable for the period of its setting – around 1603 in Venice and Cyprus – but little else is traditional about this performance.

The stark set, a painted stage, rings the changes between the scenes by clever use of light, sliding gates and shimmering curtains, the lack of furniture and props focusing all the attention on the actors and their words. Fantastic a cappella singing, influenced by the daily songs of the Orthodox church and music of the Renaissance, also make it remarkable.

Will Keen (L) as Iago and John Douglas Thompson as Othello. Photo by Johan Persson.

A tempest blowing in is represented by characters pulsing back and forth like the sea, blowing hard, and a sword fight to the death is deconstructed, with all the characters enacting their fighting moves from a position facing the audience. Another brutal scene is enacted in pitch darkness, with the audience having to imagine the blows through terrible sound alone.

Othello is a difficult tragedy, with the ‘otherness’ of the main character coming from his colour, and the shock at his marriage to the white Desdemona, a woman desired by several other characters. One of them, Iago, is annoyed by General Othello passing him over for an army promotion, so he decides to convince him that his beloved Desdemona has been unfaithful – creating unbearable jealousy in the new husband, with violent results, another difficult topic in current times. Perhaps it is out of concerns of triggering audience members that despite all the violent deaths there is no sign of blood in the production.

Anastasia Hille as Elilia (L), Juliet Rylance as Desdemona. Photo by Johan Persson.

John Douglas Thompson is excellent in the title role; solid, masterful and unmoving in an early big speech, increasingly animated as he is brought alive with love, then almost visibly ageing, and bent double as he becomes convinced Desdemona is cheating. Juliet Rylance is also believable as the loved-up wife, hurt and bemused by her husband’s sudden turn against her. The long scene where her maid Emilia, a touching performance from Anastasia Hille, prepares her for bed is very believable, bringing out the difficulties between the sexes.

The Company of Othello. Photo by Johan Persson.

The play really revolves around the scheming Iago, seen by everyone as honest, but conniving to persuade people to believe his lies and turn against each other. He is played by Will Keen as a quiet, weasley, scheming and amoral man, able to make up stories and persuade others of their truth easily. Often though his quiet vocal delivery is so fast it is hard to catch what he says.

However, overall the production is a treat for the eye and ear, while losing none of its ability to shock with themes that are still difficult and relevant today.

Tickets are available at www.rsc.org.uk