Writer: William Shakespeare
Adaptors: Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett
Director: Scott Graham
Scott Graham’s retelling of the classic Othello bursts with violence, betrayal and jealousy. Set in a run-down pub, rival gangs battle over what is theirs, and friends turn enemies as lies are spat and pushed around the group. Within this at times pulsing red pub a microcosm of the society Shakespeare created plays outs with loves and hopes born and torn down.
True to the ever-popular Frantic Assembly style, Othello is alive with energy. House music envelopes the audience, drowning out all other sounds so we are instantly caught up in the world of the play. The tempo of the performance is set with a fast-paced opening sequence showing flirtations, fights, and power struggles, finally establishing Othello as the all-powerful, magnetic leader of men.
This modern retelling works. The characters have depth and meaning; Michael Akinsulire’s Othello ripples from leader to lover, to a man wracked with a doubt which emanates from his body. Chanel Waddock, as Desdemona, grows from scene to scene, adeptly moving from playful social butterfly to the vulnerable wife of a tormentor. As an ensemble cast there is a tightness to the movements onstage, co-choreographed by Perry Johnson, which tells as much of the story as the text does. This merging of the highly physical with Shakespeare’s language and Laura Hopkins’ gritty design presents a vision that is at once relatable and awe-inspiring.
As the play moves into the second act, however, the energy driving it does not let up, resulting in a lack of variety and scenes which become interchangeable due to the sheer anger on stage. This pattern is broken and a different view offered as Desdemona and Emilia have a heart to heart in the safety of the pub’s grimy toilet. This poignant moment serves to heighten the harsh reality they live in and make the play’s ending all the more tragic.
The play’s hyper-violence throws a sharp focus on domestic abuse. The familiar setting means Desdemona is no longer a figure in a far-off country, but the girl you might know from down the road. Emilia is not her servant, but her best friend, and both have been abused by dominant men in a world where brutality is a way of life.
This reworking of Othello is as relevant now as it was when it was first adapted in 2008; a focus on social structures, abuse and the power of anger reflects behaviours seen around the country and their irreversible consequences.
Othello plays at the York Theatre Royal until Saturday 22 October when it continues its tour across England, finishing in early February 2023.
Runs until 22nd October 2022.
