Othello

Synopsis

Othello, a Moor, falls in love with Desdemona but is broken by jealousy falsely encouraged. Shakespeare's most human play sets delicacy and power, trust and jealousy, love and hate, good and evil in stark and tragic opposition. Powerless in the face of their own self destructive instincts, the characters are caught on a downward spiral towards inevitable tragedy.

Our Review:

25 May 2007

The theme of this year’s Globe season is Renaissance and Revolution. It’s a strange theme: the only thing that Othello, The Merchant of Venice and Love Labour’s Lost appear to have in common is that they are set in Shakespeare’s own time – although much the same could be said for a large proportion of his plays.

After last year’s Globe Roman season – which left me distinctly underwhelmed - I was a bit apprehensive about returning to the venue, usually one of my favourites. I was soon reassured.

I couldn’t call Wilson Milam’s Othello a triumph. But it’s a clear, fast-paced (perhaps a bit too fast-paced at the start) rendition. Despite its length of the three-and-a-quarter hours, the vast majority of groundlings stayed to the end (which isn’t always the case at the Globe). Perhaps they were attracted by the play itself, but, after a shaky start, the production certainly got better.

At first, Eamonn Walker’s Othello seemed a lon...

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Latest User Review

David Baxter - 20 June 2007:

For Othello to succeed requires two strong performances from the lead actors; unfortunately The Globe has gone 0 for 2. Eamonn Walker is one-dimensional and totally fails to convince of his passion for Desdemona before he is fatally deceived. Tim McInnerney is marginally better, if very shouty. He at least seems full of rage but the opening scene setting up the reasons for his hatred of Othello is weak, undermining Iago's motivation for evil. Many of the supporting parts are much stronger but special plaudits go to Zoe Tapper who is sensational as a saintly Desdemona, obviously completely in love with Othello before giving way to sheer terror as she realises her fate. Although she has a small voice, Miss Tapper's verse speaking is beautifully clear and always audible in this most difficult of venues. Disappointing, but it has whetted my apetite for Michael Grandage's forthcoming production at the Donmar....

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