Othello
William Shakespeare
Directed by Tom Morris
Theatre Royal Haymarket
Star rating: 4
In terms of story telling this production of Shakespeare’s account of a marriage which goes wrong very quickly, is the strongest Othello I have ever seen. It rolls along with commendable clarity and, on press night, you could hear the audience listening – really listening – and chuckling, not at theatrical gimmicks but at what the playwright actually wrote. Full marks to director Tom Morris for that.
This is David Harewood’s second go at “The Moor of Venice”. I first saw him in this role at National Theatre in 1997. Now, at a youthful-looking nearly 60 he brings a warmly attractive gravitas to the early scenes and a totally believable love between him and his Desdemona (Caitlin Fitzgerald – good). It makes “Farewell the tranquil mind” even more poignant than usual and there is riveting tautness in the scene between him and Iago (Toby Jones) which ends the first half.
Jones is electrifying as Iago, dripping poison and malice. Much scholarly ink has been spent debating Iago’s motivation. Here it’s straightforward professional jealousy, exacerbated by racism. “I hate the Moor” he spits out. Jones creates wry humour out of his outrageous audience asides which highlight his manipulative duplicity and contrast powerfully with his calculatedly and increasingly venomous conversations with Othello. It’s quite a performance from an actor we’ve grown used in recent years, to seeing mostly in “good guy” roles. I’ve seen many Iagos over the years, including Ian McKellen and Simon Russell Beale. Jones definitely has the edge for sheer self-interested nastiness.
There are some nice work in this production’s support roles too. Luke Treadaway’s dim, impressionable Cassio and Felix Hayes’s benign, wise Duke of Venice are both pleasing. And Vinette Robinson as Emila really comes into her own in the second half – screaming in fury at Othello.
Ti Green’s shape-shifting set starts in the rigid, architectural formality of Venice and gradually morphs into the chaos of war-torn Cyprus and eventually the devastating anguish of Othello’s mind as he finally flips and kills Desmona. Generally speaking Jon Nicholls’s sound track is rather bitty and you can’t always tell whether what you’re hearing is him or TFL rumblings nearby but there’s terrific moment in the strangling scene.
It’s always good to see Shakespeare back in the West End reaching new audiences as well as old hands. And this relatively succinct version (the RSC production at the Young Vic in 1989 ran until 11.45!) cuts to the chase with plenty of theatrical power.
