Othello

As co-director Elizabeth Browne points out, Othello is a challenging text which is “commonly studied and rarely performed” due to its sensitive and controversial content. Racism and domestic violence are at the core of this play. MUSC has openly addressed these aspects and depicted them for what they are: abhorrent. This is a very brave production that wishes to confront the ways in which jealousy, deception, and betrayal fuel these perfidious behaviours.

This makes the production an ambitious project and there are moments when the performers really rise to the challenge. Ali Samaei (Iago) gives a very focused and articulate performance and gives his character a great deal of charm and allure which makes him the central focus of the production.

Georgia Campbell (Emilia) also provides a very solid performance and her resistance to the blatant misogyny is conveyed with finesse. Her role in the latter half of the play becomes increasingly well drawn out.

The staging seems to struggle with the expanse of space and performers tend to be dispersed across the stage that renders its openness as unwieldy. However, the staging is particularly effective when depicting the scene where Othello (Akeel Purmunand) murders Desdemona (Rachel Winterhalter). This scene is managed with pathos and transparency and depicts the act as senseless and unadulterated violence. 

Overall, the performers seem to struggle with the nuance of the rhythm of Shakespearean language. The tendency to treat it as ordinary speech allows the performers to inhabit the roles well, but this tends to obscure the text and at times affects vocal projection. This production highlights the important themes in the play and tackles some very difficult issues in an accomplished manner.

Patricia Di Risio