Othello
by William Shakespeare
English Touring Theatre with, Oxford Playhouse and Shakespeare’s Tobacco Factory
Directed by Richard Twyman
Designed by Georgia Lowe
Poole Lighthouse
Thursday 22ndNovember 2018
CAST
Kitty Archer- Desdemona
Christopher Bianchi – Brabantio
Philip Correira – Cassio
Naby Dakhli- Montano
James Ellis- Duke
James Gadden – soldier / senator
Hayat Kamilla – Bianca
Brian Lonsdale – Roderigo
Paul McEwan – Iago
Victor Oshin – Othello
Kelly Price- Emilia
John Sandeman – Lodovico
This is a revival of their 2017 production, with a new cast for 2018.
Othello (Victor Oshin) and Desdemona (Kitty Archer) in the Muslim scene. From where I was sitting there was no sign of the coloured lighting.
The play starts with Othello and a head-scarfed Desdemona making vows in Arabic, complete with Muslim prayer and him linking that crucial strawberry-festooned handkerchief round her wrists … and how props departments for 400 years have muttered “Why didn’t Shakespeare write floral handkerchief, or handkerchief with fruit rather than be so specific on strawberries?” Desdemona is small and slight and blonde and Othello is big and beefy. Looks tough. That’s how I’d cast them.
So the big idea in this production is to focus on religion (timely) at the start rather than race. OK, good starting idea, but then there’s no follow through. The programme essay addresses the question of whether Othello was supposed to be ethnically African (i.e. Sub-Saharan African) or Arab. African is always the theatrical choice, as here. Yes, Islam spread far into Sub-Saharan Africa, but given the production’s Islamic start, I would have gone for Arab. I also think Othello switching religions so as to get a better military job with the Venetians reflects differently on his character.
Venice. The Senate confrontation. Again no sign of coloured light from my seat.
The stage set is a series of vertical fluorescent tubes around a platform, and it’s a set designed to work in different theatres, as befits a touring production. Low LED lighting is above the stage. It’s pretty dark much of the time. The designer said they wanted it the barest, and that costumes were modern and chosen not to reflect any particular place or army or weapon. That means the Venetians are pretty much confined to dusty black, with Roderigo in jeans and leather jacket, and the women as a major contrast. Then the governor of Cyprus gets generic beige Desert Storm (Cyprus is a different army).
A major strength is that it isn’t colour-blind – as Shakespeare intended, the theme comes over best if Othello is the lone black person. AND it isn’t gender-blind either. That shouldn’t be a surprise, but it is and it’s a relief. At least the roles, as written, are now clear. The RSC had a black Iago last time. The Globe had a black Emilia, giving a whole new dimension to Iago’s racial prejudice. Then they had colour blind other parts, eliminating Othello’s uniqueness in the situation. I reckon, the way it’s going, in a year or two The Globe will have a white female Othello (probably the artistic director) and a black male Desdemona.
It’s not accent blind either. Naby Dakhli as Montano, Governor of Cyprus and Hayat Kamille as Bianca have non-British accents … Bianca sounds Spanish to me. That makes perfect sense, as they are “foreign” – the two Cypriots. Iago and Emilia both have slight Yorkshire accents, again that makes sense because Cassio says of Iago “I never knew A Florentine more kind and honest.” Online pass notes reckon that means Cassio is the Florentine, because Iago is mentioned as Venetian elsewhere. OK, Iago is in Venetian military service. Sorry, I’ve always taken it that Iago and Emilia are Florentine, so being Yorkshire (Florence) v general RP for Venice works for me. And I’m not taking an exam ever again, thank goodness. Roderigo is faintly Geordie.
Roderigo (Brian Lonsdale) and Iago (Paul McEwan)
After the interest of Othello as a Muslim in the pre-scene, the production suddenly falls very flat. The first Iago- Roderigo scene has them seated. Both have accents, and as another review notes, Paul McEwan’s enunciation is blurry. There’s a slight “slush” in there. The result is that they’re both hard to understand until you get used to them, and seated voice is less projected than standing. Even esteemed directors (NT) have admitted they usually take a couple of minutes to understand Shakespeare at the start, so this lost a lot of important information.
The Venetians arrive in Cyprus
Until they all get to Cyprus, I thought it was extremely dull. They failed to get any humour, and usually the Iago-Roderigo dialogue, then Brabantio being woken up, gets some humour. Not a touch here. Then the scene with the duke and senators is blocked as extremely static, all standing up straight in dull costumes. So 15-20 minutes in I was thinking this was about the most boring Othello I had seen. Fortunately, it then livens up considerably. But it’s a very poor start.
The soldier’s party is done with gusto. Othello and Desdemona do an excellent writhing North African dance together, then after they retire, the soldiers whoop it up with fake breasts, simulated buggery and the song The Long, The Short and The Tall in its army / rugby songs version: so Bless ‘em all becomes Fuck ‘em all. They probably got fuck in more times than any Shakespeare in years. Then we get pogo dancing to a loud soundtrack. Then getting Cassio drunk. Hmm, I was thinking, all the direction effort went here, and to good effect, and none went in the earlier scenes!
Othello (Victor Oshin) and Iago (Paul McEwan)
Paul McEwan’s Iago grows on you as the play progresses, and by the end he is getting plenty of laughs at his duplicity. He’s cast as an older male, old soldier, hip flask in trousers. A bit of a drunk, though he holds it. Passed over for promotion in favour of Cassio (Philip Correira) because he’s aged past the point already. Victor Oshin’s Othello is much younger than expected … it’s his professional debut, which is a terrifying place to start. Given the age gap, you can’t see them as old war comrades, which is a rationale for Othello trusting Iago’s word so implicitly. Oshin’s gives the emotional scenes great power, but you never believe that this was a senior military general with instant authority.
Othello (Victor Oshin)
In Act 2, a long Iago – Othello scene has Othello in boxing gear with taped hands and a punchbag – a good prop for displaying rage. I thought, forget the Muslim, forget the General, the plot works well if you think of Othello as a very successful professional boxer, and then Iago as the grizzled manipulative trainer who’s been running Othello’s life and telling him what to think and do for years. That’s what it felt like and that mood took me through the rest of the play. You could do a good version in that setting all the way on film.
Othello (Victor Oshin) and Iago (Paul McEwan) – boxer and trainer?
The best scene, and the most innovative was Desdemona (Kitty Archer) and Emilia (Kelly Price) getting into female bonding while clearing up after the banquet for Lodovico, finishing off the dregs of the wine from different bottles, and then singing on the table while dancing in what appeared to be a Greek dance (pity they didn’t get as far as putting tumblers of wine on their foreheads as in tavernas!)
Girls Just Wanna Get Drunk: Emilia (Kelly Price) and Desdemona (Kitty Archer)
A great scene, great performances from both. I’d guess that this has often been reduced in length or de-focussed where productions have had a very military focus (NT, RSC). Maybe not, but it’s a vital scene. The standout of the play.
Five Minutes later …
Good death scene for all, but I really get perplexed at such small kitchen knives being used for stabbing. Othello’s death is extremely well done though.
Shakespeare at The Tobacco Factory are usually noted for getting plays down to a shorter length. This is a full 2 hours 50 minutes (including interval).
Overall? I’m surprised at all the advertised four star reviews. A slow, dull one star beginning, then a couple of four star scenes, excellent performances from all, so …
***
Programme: good essays BUT they should tell (remind?) the audience who characters are. “Brabantio” should at least have “Brabantio, Desdemona’s father.”
How did Othello end up with two modern brand names? We have a Brabanti(a) kitchen waste bin, and a Casio watch and mini-keyboard. And Montano was so close my spell checker preferred Monsanto.
LINKS ON THIS BLOG
OTHER PRODUCTIONS OF OTHELLO
Othello – NT 2013
Othello – RSC 2015
Othello – Wanamaker Playhouse, 2017
Othello – Globe 2018
Othello – English Touring Theatre 2018
Othello – Watermill, 2022
PAUL McEWAN
Two Noble Kinsmen, RSC 2016, 216
Richard III, Trafalgar Studio, 2014
KELLY PRICE
First Light, by Mark Hayhurst,Chichester 2016
Stepping Out by Richard Harris, Salisbury Playhouse 2012
BRIAN LONSDALE
Noises Off, Nuffield
Peter Viney's Blog 