Othello

By Robert Iles - 5th Sep 2014

"Pleasure and action make the hours seem short" Act 2. Scene 3. How I wish the Director had listened to Iago's words. This production is painfully slow and shouty. The modern setting is fine, though the idea of "Casino Venice" adds little and has annoying details: Iago the croupier shuffles and deals like my friend’s granny, then Othello and Iago play unconvincing rummy – not exactly a gangster game.

By all means use songs, but don’t subject us to the whole 6 verses. The girls’ performances achieved the effect within a few bars of music – completing the songs held up the action and revealed weak voices. Some scene changes were completed under the songs and offered the most interesting scenes to watch. If only the director had brought the same teamwork and focus to the acting scenes. Most of the fighting was credible and effectively delivered.

The production made excellent use of the space although too many settings were created. We could have spent more time in the club rather than move to a room with empty boxes. Changes slowed the action again. Sad that I was grateful for the part transparent black drapes allowing me to watch scene changes instead of the main action.

The soundscape was annoying and the only actor able to find a light was Iago. His vanity spot in the downstage window unbalanced the rest. Using mobile phones and texting is a great idea and could have been much more developed although the sound level in the opening scene needs attention.

Ben Kavangh (Iago) understands his part but works so hard to convince us of his villainy that he pauses at every new idea, tries to show us the idea hatch and then delivers it with a smile. Too. Many. Pauses. Kill. The. Pace. His fey interpretation of Iago hints at homoerotic (would Othello tolerate that hand on his knee?) and would be an interesting idea to develop. He makes enough reference to the qualities of Cassio and it would justify his ineptitude with his wife. Next time maybe. In the first half, Ben seemed aware that he was driving the show but even with that knowledge he preferred brake to accelerator. If he ran the first half, Kate Cooper (Emilia) ran the second. This is not only in the written structure but in performance. Emilia started quietly but grew in power and passion to her end.

Hainsley Lloyd Bennett (Othello) needs to be told that power and passion do not mean SHOUTING! The subtleties of emotion and clarity of lines were lost when we couldn’t hear them clearly.

Felicity Mccormack delivers a naïve yet worldy-wise Desdemona. Her disbelief in the transformation to her man is delicate and beautiful to watch. Very convincing.

Few of the other actors can handle the text: The Duke (Lennie Blasse) mumbling and unclear; Brabantio (John Irvine) shouting the majority of his lines.

The show warns of scenes of nudity. This amounts to the most unnecessary, gratuitous and pointless flash of naked breast I have ever seen. Is it aimed to pull in dirty old men punters? Even they will be annoyed.

The hammer. So a sword is anachronistic, but to use a hammer instead and then hide Desdemona’s death behind a table loses all drama. Somewhere on the internet Ben is credited as director, but not in the current programme. Eliot Langsdon may have good design ideas, but does not have a critical eye on the performance. Could this be because he can't see it from onstage? This production needs to be refocused. There any many good ideas and some good performances but the sedate pace and lack of sensitivity to language and diction make the hours seem very long indeed.

DB