Details

In Zimbabwe in 2008, the impending elections bring hope to a country left raw by oppression. Otieno, a militia leader protecting a white farm under siege by Mugabe's war veterans, has secretly married Diana, the white farmer's daughter. The war veterans draw closer to the farm and the mounting pressure begins to take its toll on the inhabitants: tempers fray, personalities crack and Otieno begins to doubt Diana's fidelity. Ian, Otieno's trusted aide, appears to be the only person he can rely on in the middle of this chaos, but it is this reliance that is the downfall for the whole farm. Trevor Michael Georges' contemporary rewriting of Shakespeare's Othello is set against the continuing deprivation of present-day Zimbabwe. This visceral play brings a brutal beauty to the well-known tragedy of violence and betrayal. It has been thirty years, almost to the day, since Robert Mugabe became head of the Zimbabwean government. Metta Theatre is joining with organisations, including ROHR Zimbabwe and UK institutions, to look at the state of the country today in a series of post-show and on-line discussions.

Cast/Performers

David Ajao (Rufaro), Rhoda Ofori Attah (Bamidele), David Charles (Howard), Trevor Michael Georges (Otieno), Sian Goff (Diana), Jack Hawkins (Ian), Kevin Neil (Kagiso)

Creatives/Company

Author: Trevor Michael Georges
Producer(s): Heather Doole (for Metta Theatre), Southwark Playhouse
Director: Poppy Burton Morgan
Design: William Reynolds
Lighting: William Reynolds