101 replies to this topic

[Latecomer]

Thought some of the director's choces worked and some didn't. Liked the office settig for Othello and Iago's chat and Rory, lurking behind his laptop. Didn't like the "lounging in a director chair" for Desdemona and Emilia. For me the casual opening of a tinny then didn't quite get the mood right. Also thought the bed was annoying.....the placement made it feel as though the actors were having to work too hard to be seen. It hampered the whole thing and meant we couldn't see bits and bobs. Also felt it was a shame at times that, with such a huge stage to work with, they insisted on bringing on a very small box to put all the action in.....but I liked the arrival on the island framed by all the concrete. Have objections to the use of guns rather than knives....not easy to get the same close up drama and you didn't really get the sense that Iago enjoyed the killing, and was *shock horror* a little disappointed by Rory in the last couple of minutes. But overall, despite this, was a fun production that was easy to understand and I enjoyed some of the verse speaking. I think they slipped in the odd modern word ....I'm sure one soldier called another "mate" at one point.....

[peggs]

mallardo, on 12 May 2013 - 03:17 PM, said:

Re the laughter - and to be fair to the audience - Rory Kinnear, with his droll delivery, does play many of his asides for laughs - and he's a genuinely funny guy.  He and Roderigo were virtually a comedy team.

I agree those scenes made sense that people found them funny, it was the being played straight why are people laughing at a man destroying himself ones that threw me.