Review: Othello (HOME Manchester)

Review by Eleanor Rose Clarke 

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A new production of Shakespeare’s Othello, focusing on appearance, restraint and transition, arrives at HOME in Manchester this week as part of a short tour. It is a common but interesting idea to place Shakespearean themes within a new context, and this production’s direction appears to be purposeful in what it sets out to do when finding a new place for this story to shine. Othello explores the dark side of both jealousy and paranoia, and this production certainly looks the part, but does the performance reach these tragic depths?

Rich in adoration, jealousy and resentment, this tragedy happens to be one of Shakespeare’s plays that I was fairly unfamiliar with prior to attending. The story begins in Venice, where the “Moorish” military general Othello secretly marries Desdemona, a white noblewoman, before being whisked away to Cyprus to perform his duty, taking his wife with him. Following closely behind, we learn of Iago, Othello’s loyal ensign, who finds himself fuelled by jealousy when Cassio is appointed lieutenant by Othello. Driven into an obsessive and elaborate series of lies, Iago manipulates Othello into believing that his wife has been disloyal with Cassio. Othello is left to contend with the difference between the truth, Iago’s lies and the performance of those around him. It is a story of paranoia, betrayal and power.

Produced by Northern Stage, a Newcastle-based contemporary theatre company who provide creative opportunities and promote new theatre in the north, along with HOME Manchester, Citizens Theatre and Royal & Derngate Northampton, the production begins its UK tour off the back of initial performances in the Newcastle venue. 

Shakespeare’s dark tragedy finds itself contextualised within the 1980s, specifically the Falklands War, which works well as a visual backdrop for this classic tale. Beginning in London and then moving to the Falklands, but still using Venice and Cyprus in the dialogue, it is slightly confusing to what extent this change is enforced. Nathasha Jenkins’ design is a sharp and brutal setting for these characters to establish themselves within, bringing a bleakness to even the happy moments they share with a towering, barbed wire fence that’s able to move to reshape the space. Choosing the early 1980s contextualises the story within modern times, but as a setting it does tailor to an audience that has an assumed and established knowledge of the Falklands War, which is likely through their memory of it. My age did show when watching this, as I appreciated the visual aspects of this choice, which aligned well with the tone of the play, but there was little understanding beyond that. The parallel being drawn is unlikely to engage any students who attend the performance without any extra information to help contextualise what might only be a name they recognise and not an event they understand in any detail.

Anthony Almeida’s direction clearly sets out to focus on the idea of image, and the use of cameras reinforces this idea. There is a TV in the first scene, and Roderigo is given the role of journalist, establishing that these characters are being actively captured, and therefore act with the hesitance of knowing that one could be broadcast at any moment. Visually, there is a clear comparison to Jamie Lloyd’s established design that has become a staple in each season of upcoming productions over the last few years. The back wall is a huge screen which is used at some points, but not with particular purpose, and the image is captured through a camera that’s also visible on the stage, making a point about the inescapable presence of media and surveillance in modern times.

The most successful use of the set comes in Act Two with the moving of the fence walls, enclosing in on Othello. It is interesting to visually watch how Desdemona chooses to penetrate these walls and enter Othello’s innermost place, where, behind closed doors, we see that her trust in her husband is not as stable as she believes. Almeida’s vision suggests that a person’s actions change depending on who is watching; in this case, when the cameras no longer capture the subject, this results in Othello’s darkest side being drawn out not only through Iago’s taunting, but also through the environment he is existing in.

The performances in this production are intense and loud, and they allow their characters to test the boundaries between passion and rage. The standout performance of the night is Maanuv Thiara’s Iago, who is devious and charming in the same vein. He establishes a playfulness with the audience, and every time we get a look into his scheming, we do feel akin to his crazed actions. Thiara holds an admirable control over which side of Iago is revealed to us, and this makes his sinister actions all the more unsettling. Phoebe Smyth has a strong debut with her Desdemona, who is a vulnerable and forthright anchor to an initially stoic Othello, who slowly cracks open, played by a commanding Dwane Walcott. Grace Hodgett Young’s Bianca is composed and careful, and this allusiveness suggests the lack of narrative space given to a woman of colour from the media during the time, which makes her a particularly intriguing iteration of the character.

Music is used at points in the show, and it definitely serves the purpose of contextualising the period, but this choice, especially in Act One, is stark in breaking the fourth wall and diverting from the story’s tone. The use of music in Act Two is softer, especially when it is delivered by the actors rather than simply played over the speaker. This use of song intertwines within the narrative more successfully, providing a moment of connection between Desdemona and Emilia, and fits the darker tone of this play. Jack Hathaway’s lighting carries this tone with confidence, using shadow to create harsh images, such as the shadow of the fence cast onto Desdemona’s skin. There is a feeling of being trapped in the present, and it speaks to a play of this age being retold again with the same dark fate in store for its characters, as well as Almeida’s directorial vision. 

This production of Othello sets out with a strong idea that might not be understood by some of its audience, but it makes choices that attempt to frame the story through an alternate lens. Production-wise, it is impressive and powerful in impact, but it could commit more narrative-wise. There is a cohesive visual identity that mirrors the play’s intense content and tone, and it is certainly an interesting watch for those who enjoy an intense and tragic story.

Othello is playing at HOME in Manchester until the 10^th of October, before embarking on a UK tour. Get your tickets at: https://www.homemcr.org/whats-on/othello-18pc 

Photos by Marc Brenner