As for the other show, ostensibly the reason why everyone attended in the first place, the Royal National Theatre's performance set this tale of the Moorish General, his loyal and conniving seconds, and his lovely, doomed wife in the wilds of Cyprus in the time between the two World Wars. Military costumes were similar to the style of the English army in the film Breaker Morant, while the settings and civilian costumes hearkened back to the Roaring Twenties, Art Deco, and, as the action moved to the Sufi lands of Cyprus, the mystical, foreign feeling of an occupied mosque.
The modernization of this well-known tale was a clever and helpful way of bringing a modern American audience into the world of Othello and Iago. The text used is a full text, a conflation of the Quarto (1622) and the First Folio (1623), with about 170 lines cut. The result is a 3 hour and 20 minute chronicle of the well-spoken and refined Moor's descent into jealousy and madness.
There were several small problems with this production having to do with the nature of its original staging by Sam Mendes. The Royal National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre in Great Britain is a "black-box" stage, and was directed for an audience which sat on three sides of the stage, rather than the proscenium arch of the Herberger. The result was at turns interesting and jarring, as actors offered their backs to the audience and stage business occasionally was obscured by downstage actors. According to my sources, Mr. Mendes and his Movement Director, Jonathan Butterell, spent the two days they had the stage trying to rework their blocking, but problems still existed. Another small but noticeable problem was Paul Pyant's lighting, which almost always added much to the mood, but occasionally left actors playing whole scenes in complete or near-darkness. A final small problem was in David Harewood's presentation of Othello's difficult-to- present descent into madness, which seemed a bit forced, and his final actions, which were more performed than lived. Beyond these small hitches, the show itself was polished and quite enjoyable.
The most powerful of the performances came from the "Honest" Iago, played by Simon Russell Beale. Mr. Beale's scheming Lieutenant was two-facedly military through and through. He had the air of a stuffy, racist and paranoid British officer with a chip on his shoulder. Mr. Beal played more calculating than mad, and heightened Iago's villainy for this interpretation. The sane and well-spoken part of Mr. Harewood's Othello was masterful, and worked as a perfect foil to the negative, racist attitudes of his superiors and troops. Also impressive in her role as the young, faithful Desdemona was Claire Skinner. She gave a child-like innocence to the role which sustained her until her untimely end.
The rest of the supporting cast were wonderful, including Crispin Letts' Roderigo, Colin Tierney's obedient and loving officer Cassio, and especially Maureen Beattie as Emilia, the Yorkshire-born wife of Iago.
The set, designed by Anthony Ward, was clever and effective for all locations, from the inner sanctums of the Venice Senate, to the Muslim-influenced bedchambers of Othello and Desdemona's Cyprus lodgings. The set incorporated a wall and hallway below, using large venetian blinds (ironically called "jalousies" in French) to offer glimpses of stormy skies and internal and external parapets. Also effective was the three-person orchestra, directed by percussionist Martin Allen, which added musical and sound effects that heightened the situations of the play.
It is rare, indeed, when Phoenix theatregoers can be treated to a full production of a Shakespearean play, let alone as performed by actors so well-trained in its subtle inflections and locutions. Inevitably, as the production continues, some of the rough patches of its opening night will be smoothed over. Even with its slight hitches, this is a worthy production, and a must-see for all lovers of Shakespeare and classic theatre.
Production Details:
"Othello" by William Shakespeare
The Royal National Theatre in conjunction with the UK/AZ
Festival
Herberger Theatre, Phoenix
252-8497
September 30th-October 5th, 1997, 7:30pm start time
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