Othello

This is the first time I have had a chance to see Frantic Assembly's "Othello" though it had previously toured in 2008, 2014 and 2022. What a delight. Fast paced, trimmed down and definitely a production for this century we are presented with Othello and his "gang" living their lives around a bar rather than a court. The non-verbal, choreographed sections are amazingly effective - setting the initial scene and relationships without the need for words and making Othello and Desdemona's relationship and the fight sequences incredibly effective.

The audience, largely consisting of school groups, were completely engrossed. At first I thought the staging might not work in such a large auditorium but the actors really pulled you in to the action. Set design was very effective, Casio's drunk scene, rolling around the walls, worked very well and scene changes were fluid and effective.

All in all a well adapted Shakespeare, very accessible and memorable. Fab.