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Othello
by
William Shakespeare
An
RSC production
Opened at the Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon on 24th August
1989. Transferred to the Young Vic, London, and
opened there on 20th September 1989.
Director: Trevor Nunn
Designer: Bob Crowley
Composer: Guy Woolfenden
Musical Director: Jonathan Goldstein
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Cast
(partial
list, in
alphabetical order) |
Sean Baker.....Cassio
John Burgess.....Duke of
Venice; Lodovico
Michael Grandage.....Roderigo
David Hounslow.....Servant to the Senate; First Cyprus
Soldier; First Othello Soldier
Marsha Hunt.....Bianca
Brian Lawson.....First Senator; Second Cyprus Soldier; Second
Othello Soldier
Sir Ian Mckellen.....Iago
Imogen Stubbs.....Desdemona
Philip Sully.....Montano
Clive Swift.....Brabantio; Gratiano
Zoë Wanamaker.....Emilia
Willard White.....Othello |
Production |
| Outwardly, Iago is
an honourable and trustworthy soldier. But jealous of his
companion Othello's superiority in rank, and embittered by the
wild suggestion that the higher-ranking soldier may have seduced
his wife, Emilia, privately Iago is eager to exact his
'revenge'. Ruthlessly exploiting others in his schemes,
Iago determines to bring about Othello's downfall, with tragic
consequences. |
Pictures |
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thumbnail to enlarge (image will open in a new window): |
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Notes |
| The Times praised
Trevor Nunn's production as 'the best thing that the RSC has
done in the last five years'. |
Zoë received an Olivier award nomination for her performance in
Othello. |
Some years after this production, Zoe discussed her approach to
playing the role of Emilia, as part of a BBC
revision programme for AS-level students. |
Reviews |
| 'Two marriages, one new, one old, are at
the centre of Othello,
this production explored them, and their contrasts, in
four deeply thoughtful and impressive performances.
Never has the part of Emilia seemed to me so significant
as in Zoë Wanamaker’s splendid presentation. Sad,
pale, and watchful, she moves through the play observing
in its events, suspicious but bewildered until the truth
finally dawns on her: 'My husband'
– and she stops in her tracks on her way to raise the
alarm. 'O gull, O dolt,' she says, as much to
herself as to Othello, and from her earlier watchful
stillness she finds in these last moments, an old black
overcoat over her nightdress, a frantic energy that
exposes the truth in ending her own life. What has her
existence with Iago been like, one wondered; why does
she still yearn for attention and affection from him?
On
her first appearance she had watched the extravagant
affection of the greeting between Desdemona and Othello
with pained wonder, surprised to find her attention to
their embrace interrupted by a rough, affectionless kiss
from her husband. From the first scene after the
intermission (the break is taken in the middle of 3.3,
after the exit of Desdemona and Othello), she came on
with a tobacco pipe which she lit apparently in
preparation for her husband’s arrival, for he took it
from her with every appearance of custom when he arrived
a few lines later. Again there was an embrace and kiss
between them as she gave him the handkerchief, he
breaking away to leave her unsatisfied, humiliated: 'I
nothing, but to please his fantasy.' - Robert
Smallwood, [Extract from review of Othello], Shakespeare
Quarterly, no. 41. |
Links |
| Othello
credits, information and production photos - Sir Ian
McKellen Official Homepage |
| Othello
production photos: page one,
two
- the Royal Shakespeare Company |
Merchandise |
| Othello
text - available to buy from Amazon |
| Othello
R2 DVD - The critically-acclaimed production was
adapted for
television by David Myerscough-Jones in 1990; the play
was again
directed by Trevor Nunn. |
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