Browse Titles - 54 results
Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, Richard II
A story of power and plotting, Richard II is the first of Shakespeare's four plays about the House of Lancaster. Richard is King. A monarch ordained by God to lead his people. But he is also a man of very human weakness. A man whose vanity threatens to divide the great houses of England and drag his people into a...
A story of power and plotting, Richard II is the first of Shakespeare's four plays about the House of Lancaster. Richard is King. A monarch ordained by God to lead his people. But he is also a man of very human weakness. A man whose vanity threatens to divide the great houses of England and drag his people into a dynastic civil war that will last 100 years. RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran directs David Tennant in the title role.
"A definiti...
A story of power and plotting, Richard II is the first of Shakespeare's four plays about the House of Lancaster. Richard is King. A monarch ordained by God to lead his people. But he is also a man of very human weakness. A man whose vanity threatens to divide the great houses of England and drag his people into a dynastic civil war that will last 100 years. RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran directs David Tennant in the title role.
"A definitive production of a great play and well worth catching when it is broadcast live to cinemas." (The Daily Mail ★★★★★)
"Gregory Doran's exceptional production is a rousing triumph." (The Observer ★★★★★)
"David Tennant gives a bravado performance of a multi-layered, complex and intelligent medieval king in Shakespeare's masterful history play. Gregory Doran's production is superbly orchestrated. This is a lucid, moving production packed with tremendous performances. From Michael Pennington's John of Gaunt, the last great Englishman, to Oliver Ford Davies's wonderfully bewildered Duke of York." (The Daily Express ★★★★★)
"David Tennant is mesmerising in the first show of Gregory Doran's six-year plan to present all of Shakespeare's works. A beautifully crafted, richly detailed production. " (The Guardian ★★★★)
"One of the hottest tickets of the year." (The Times ★★★★)
"A lucid and gripping account of Richard II. David Tennant is in splendid form here. In his gorgeous, gold-embroidered robes, this Richard is wrapped in the mystique of medieval majesty. There isn't a weak link in the cast. Ferocious eloquence overcomes deathbed infirmity in Michael Pennington's superb portrayal of John of Gaunt, and Oliver Ford Davies gives a fine edge of grumpy comedy to the Duke of York's conscience-stricken dithering." (The Independent ★★★★)
"David Tennant delivers a vivid, intelligent performance in Gregory Doran's clear, detailed and dynamic production. One of the year's hottest tickets. Oliver Ford Davies's Duke of York is an unalloyed delight." (The Evening Standard ★★★★)
"Michael Pennington is little short of magnificent as John of Gaunt." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)
"Nigel Lindsay's Bolingbroke is a palpably dangerous figure… Jane Lapotaire turns the Duchess of Gloucester into a silver-haired figure whose widowed grief manifests itself in a burning appetite for revenge." (The Guardian)
"A fine, restrained Michael Pennington gives desperate dignity to John of Gaunt's lush – sceptred isle and silver sea – lament for England. Emma Hamilton brings a lovely grace to the small, beguiling part of Richard's wife. As the Duke of York, Oliver Ford Davies is radiantly authentic. He delivers many speeches as if he were quietly arguing with himself and the audience were eavesdropping. When he erupts into violent confrontation he is shattering." (The Observer)
David Tennant, 1971- Emma Hamilton, 1984- Michael Pennington, 1943-
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Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakespeare's earliest plays and also one of the most rarely performed. It's about betrayal, love and disguise.
"There's a lovely summery feel to Simon Godwin's nimble-footed modern-dress production of this early Shakespeare comedy; it's a stylish and confident RSC debut." (Ev...
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakespeare's earliest plays and also one of the most rarely performed. It's about betrayal, love and disguise.
"There's a lovely summery feel to Simon Godwin's nimble-footed modern-dress production of this early Shakespeare comedy; it's a stylish and confident RSC debut." (Evening Standard ★★★★)
"Director Simon Godwin eagerly explores the light and dark sides of romance in a striking RSC debut ... A delightf...
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakespeare's earliest plays and also one of the most rarely performed. It's about betrayal, love and disguise.
"There's a lovely summery feel to Simon Godwin's nimble-footed modern-dress production of this early Shakespeare comedy; it's a stylish and confident RSC debut." (Evening Standard ★★★★)
"Director Simon Godwin eagerly explores the light and dark sides of romance in a striking RSC debut ... A delightful evening." (The Guardian ★★★★)
"A superbly fleet-footed production of a play in which sunny comic exuberance is disconcertingly darkened by ominous shadows." (The Daily Telegraph)
"An absolute treat…" (What's On Stage)
Mark Arends, fl. 2005 Elliot Barnes-Worrell, fl. 2009 Martin Bassindale, fl. 2013
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Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, Henry IV, Part I
With his crown under threat from enemies both foreign and domestic, Henry IV prepares for war. As his father gets ready to defend his crown, Prince Hal is languishing in the taverns and brothels of London, revelling in the company of his friend, the notorious Sir John Falstaff. With the onset of war, Hal must conf...
With his crown under threat from enemies both foreign and domestic, Henry IV prepares for war. As his father gets ready to defend his crown, Prince Hal is languishing in the taverns and brothels of London, revelling in the company of his friend, the notorious Sir John Falstaff. With the onset of war, Hal must confront his responsibilities to family and throne.
"Shakespeare's two greatest plays have always been a defining experience for RSC direct...
With his crown under threat from enemies both foreign and domestic, Henry IV prepares for war. As his father gets ready to defend his crown, Prince Hal is languishing in the taverns and brothels of London, revelling in the company of his friend, the notorious Sir John Falstaff. With the onset of war, Hal must confront his responsibilities to family and throne.
"Shakespeare's two greatest plays have always been a defining experience for RSC directors. Gregory Doran now puts his decisive seal on the company by offering a production that, like last year's Richard II, combines richness of texture with psychological insight. It also contains a major performance from Antony Sher as Falstaff.But, although Sher's is the dominant performance, everything in Doran's production bespeaks long-range planning. Jasper Britton's fine Henry IV is a tormented usurper, first seen prostrate in self-abasing prayer, capable of volcanic violence: his brutal treatment of Trevor White's bolshie Hotspur in the opening scenes explains the ensuing rebellion." (The Guardian ★★★★)
"Performed on the mighty thrust stage of the RSC's main house in Stratford, the productions have an admirably assured grasp of the plays' panoramic sweep, moving with fluency and a fine feel for thematic counterpoint between care-racked court and lax, frowsty Eastcheap, boozer and battlefield, urban and pastoral. Sher is surrounded by a crack company – amongst whom I particularly enjoyed Paola Dionisotti's Dot Cotton-like take on Mistress Quickly and the Shallow and Silence combo of Oliver Ford Davies and Jim Hooper who sublimely blend fathomless gloom and mad merriment. Strongly recommended." (The Independent ★★★★)
"What a walloping spectacle the Royal Shakespeare Company gives us with its two Henry IV plays. They are staged in the expansive manner, the acting fruity, the lighting full of oranges and blues.Director Gregory Doran presents the panorama of Harry Bolingbroke’s England and the maturing of his heir Hal from wastrel to monarch. Here is Shakespeare perfect for both teenagers and old romantics. We have a pulsatingly deranged Hotspur, Sir Antony Sher’s typically mannered Falstaff, some memorable cameos — and hairdos worthy of a bonkers Hollywood B film. " (The Daily Mail ★★★★)
"He has played Richard III, Shylock, Leontes, Macbeth and Prospero to huge acclaim. But can Sir Antony Sher, one of our most Shakespeare-steeped theatrical knights, give us a Falstaff to remember? .... The answer is yes. A benign grin plastered on his rubicund face, this big-bearded, pot-bellied knave is first seen emerging from the bedclothes under which Alex Hassell’s lusty Harry has been romping with two maids....Jasper Britton’s anguished Henry, Trevor White’s mad-eyed (if weirdly modern-haired) Hotspur and Sam Marks’s Poins, in full bromance mode with Hal, while Paola Dionisotti’s Mistress Quickly is a touching, busybody delight. " (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)
"Visually Greg Doran's new production is a treat. There are elements that recur from the recent successful Richard II but there is an earthiness and robustness to the design that counterparts well with the more ethereal quality of the first part of the tetralogy.At the centre of it all is the engaging and playful Hal of Alex Hassell. He wins the audience over from his first moments and he lights up the stage with all his interactions. I particularly enjoyed the close bond with Poins - played strongly by Sam Marks. Hassell is also well contrasted with Trevor White's almost manically impetuous Hotspur. Paola Dionisotti (Mistress Quickly) gives a masterclass in how to imbue a relatively minor role with richness and detail. Although she has all too little to say, she is always the most watchable person on stage. A great interpretation." (What's On Stage ★★★★)
"Antony Sher is an insatiable and ebullient Falstaff. It's a performance that combines clarity and complexity — fruity, throaty, here and there a little overripe but always generous and detailed. He captures the warmth of Shakespeare's famously flawed knight — his delight in excess, blustering vitality and sparks of youthful exuberance. And even when he's at his most outrageous, Sher's Falstaff wears the expression of an affronted storyteller who can't quite believe that we don't find him winningly modest." (The Evening Standard ★★★★)
Jasper Britton, 1962- Alex Hassell, 1980- Sir Antony Sher, 1949-
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Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, Henry IV, Part II
King Henry's health is failing but he is uncertain Hal is a worthy heir. Meanwhile, Falstaff is sent to the countryside to recruit fresh troops, where he gleefully indulges in the business of lining his own pockets. As the King's health continues to worsen, Hal must choose between duty and loyalty to an old friend...
King Henry's health is failing but he is uncertain Hal is a worthy heir. Meanwhile, Falstaff is sent to the countryside to recruit fresh troops, where he gleefully indulges in the business of lining his own pockets. As the King's health continues to worsen, Hal must choose between duty and loyalty to an old friend in Shakespeare's heartbreaking conclusion to this pair of plays.
"Shakespeare's two greatest plays have always been a defining experie...
King Henry's health is failing but he is uncertain Hal is a worthy heir. Meanwhile, Falstaff is sent to the countryside to recruit fresh troops, where he gleefully indulges in the business of lining his own pockets. As the King's health continues to worsen, Hal must choose between duty and loyalty to an old friend in Shakespeare's heartbreaking conclusion to this pair of plays.
"Shakespeare's two greatest plays have always been a defining experience for RSC directors. Gregory Doran now puts his decisive seal on the company by offering a production that, like last year's Richard II, combines richness of texture with psychological insight. It also contains a major performance from Antony Sher as Falstaff. But, although Sher's is the dominant performance, everything in Doran's production bespeaks long-range planning. Jasper Britton's fine Henry IV is a tormented usurper, first seen prostrate in self-abasing prayer, capable of volcanic violence: his brutal treatment of Trevor White's bolshie Hotspur in the opening scenes explains the ensuing rebellion." (The Guardian ★★★★)
"Performed on the mighty thrust stage of the RSC's main house in Stratford, the productions have an admirably assured grasp of the plays' panoramic sweep, moving with fluency and a fine feel for thematic counterpoint between care-racked court and lax, frowsty Eastcheap, boozer and battlefield, urban and pastoral. Sher is surrounded by a crack company – amongst whom I particularly enjoyed Paola Dionisotti's Dot Cotton-like take on Mistress Quickly and the Shallow and Silence combo of Oliver Ford Davies and Jim Hooper who sublimely blend fathomless gloom and mad merriment. Strongly recommended." (The Independent ★★★★)
"What a walloping spectacle the Royal Shakespeare Company gives us with its two Henry IV plays. They are staged in the expansive manner, the acting fruity, the lighting full of oranges and blues. Director Gregory Doran presents the panorama of Harry Bolingbroke’s England and the maturing of his heir Hal from wastrel to monarch. Here is Shakespeare perfect for both teenagers and old romantics. We have a pulsatingly deranged Hotspur, Sir Antony Sher’s typically mannered Falstaff, some memorable cameos — and hairdos worthy of a bonkers Hollywood B film. " (The Daily Mail ★★★★)
"He has played Richard III, Shylock, Leontes, Macbeth and Prospero to huge acclaim. But can Sir Antony Sher, one of our most Shakespeare-steeped theatrical knights, give us a Falstaff to remember? .... The answer is yes. A benign grin plastered on his rubicund face, this big-bearded, pot-bellied knave is first seen emerging from the bedclothes under which Alex Hassell’s lusty Harry has been romping with two maids....Jasper Britton’s anguished Henry, Trevor White’s mad-eyed (if weirdly modern-haired) Hotspur and Sam Marks’s Poins, in full bromance mode with Hal, while Paola Dionisotti’s Mistress Quickly is a touching, busybody delight. " (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)
"Visually Greg Doran's new production is a treat. There are elements that recur from the recent successful Richard II but there is an earthiness and robustness to the design that counterparts well with the more ethereal quality of the first part of the tetralogy. At the centre of it all is the engaging and playful Hal of Alex Hassell. He wins the audience over from his first moments and he lights up the stage with all his interactions. I particularly enjoyed the close bond with Poins - played strongly by Sam Marks. Hassell is also well contrasted with Trevor White's almost manically impetuous Hotspur. Paola Dionisotti (Mistress Quickly) gives a masterclass in how to imbue a relatively minor role with richness and detail. Although she has all too little to say, she is always the most watchable person on stage. A great interpretation." (What's on Stage ★★★★)
"Antony Sher is an insatiable and ebullient Falstaff. It's a performance that combines clarity and complexity — fruity, throaty, here and there a little overripe but always generous and detailed. He captures the warmth of Shakespeare's famously flawed knight — his delight in excess, blustering vitality and sparks of youthful exuberance. And even when he's at his most outrageous, Sher's Falstaff wears the expression of an affronted storyteller who can't quite believe that we don't find him winningly modest." (The Evening Standard ★★★★)
Sir Antony Sher, 1949- Alex Hassell, 1980- Jasper Britton, 1962-
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Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, Love's Labour's Lost
The King and his friends take an oath to dedicate themselves to a life of study and avoid the company of women for three years. No sooner have they made their idealistic pledge than the Princess of France and her ladies-in-waiting arrive, presenting the men with a severe test of their high-minded resolve.
"This is...
The King and his friends take an oath to dedicate themselves to a life of study and avoid the company of women for three years. No sooner have they made their idealistic pledge than the Princess of France and her ladies-in-waiting arrive, presenting the men with a severe test of their high-minded resolve.
"This is the most blissfully entertaining and emotionally involving RSC offering I’ve seen in ages. " (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★★)
"This is, in...
The King and his friends take an oath to dedicate themselves to a life of study and avoid the company of women for three years. No sooner have they made their idealistic pledge than the Princess of France and her ladies-in-waiting arrive, presenting the men with a severe test of their high-minded resolve.
"This is the most blissfully entertaining and emotionally involving RSC offering I’ve seen in ages. " (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★★)
"This is, in its entirety, an endeavour that sings: poignant, impassioned and gorgeous ... Brilliantly comic…extraordinarily powerful" (The Times ★★★★★)
"A marvel…immaculately co-ordinated." (The Daily Mail ★★★★★) "This imaginative pairing makes total sense. If love is thwarted in the first play, it is triumphantly fulfilled in the second." (The Guardian ★★★★) "Exquisite….Cherishable… Immaculate" (The Evening Standard ★★★★) "Quite simply, the best plays you'll see anywhere." (The Sunday Mirror) Edward Bennett, 1979- Leah Whittaker, fl. 2011 Sam Alexander, 1978-
Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, Much Ado About Nothing
A group of soldiers return from the war. The world-weary Benedick and his friend Claudio find themselves reacquainted with Beatrice and Hero. As memories of conflict give way to a life of parties and masked balls, Claudio and Hero fall madly, deeply in love, while Benedick and Beatrice reignite their own altogethe...
A group of soldiers return from the war. The world-weary Benedick and his friend Claudio find themselves reacquainted with Beatrice and Hero. As memories of conflict give way to a life of parties and masked balls, Claudio and Hero fall madly, deeply in love, while Benedick and Beatrice reignite their own altogether more combative courtship.
"This is the most blissfully entertaining and emotionally involving RSC offering I’ve seen in ages. " (Th...
A group of soldiers return from the war. The world-weary Benedick and his friend Claudio find themselves reacquainted with Beatrice and Hero. As memories of conflict give way to a life of parties and masked balls, Claudio and Hero fall madly, deeply in love, while Benedick and Beatrice reignite their own altogether more combative courtship.
"This is the most blissfully entertaining and emotionally involving RSC offering I’ve seen in ages. " (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★★)
"This is, in its entirety, an endeavour that sings: poignant, impassioned and gorgeous ... Brilliantly comic…extraordinarily powerful" (The Times ★★★★★)
"A marvel…immaculately co-ordinated." (The Daily Mail ★★★★★)
"These productions are a joy…Edward Bennett and Michelle Terry make a splendid pairing." (The Sunday Times ★★★★)
"This imaginative pairing makes total sense. If love is thwarted in the first play, it is triumphantly fulfilled in the second." (The Guardian ★★★★)
David Horovitch, 1945- Michelle Terry, 1979- Thomas Wheatley, 1951-
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Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, Hamlet
Hamlet has the world at his feet. Young, wealthy and living a hedonistic life studying abroad. Then word reaches him that his father is dead. Returning home he finds his world is utterly changed, his certainties smashed and his home a foreign land. Struggling to understand his place in a new world order he faces a...
Hamlet has the world at his feet. Young, wealthy and living a hedonistic life studying abroad. Then word reaches him that his father is dead. Returning home he finds his world is utterly changed, his certainties smashed and his home a foreign land. Struggling to understand his place in a new world order he faces a stark choice. Submit, or rage against the injustice of his new reality. Simon Godwin (The Two Gentlemen of Verona 2014) directs Paapa...
Hamlet has the world at his feet. Young, wealthy and living a hedonistic life studying abroad. Then word reaches him that his father is dead. Returning home he finds his world is utterly changed, his certainties smashed and his home a foreign land. Struggling to understand his place in a new world order he faces a stark choice. Submit, or rage against the injustice of his new reality. Simon Godwin (The Two Gentlemen of Verona 2014) directs Paapa Essiedu as Hamlet in Shakespeare's searing tragedy. As relevant today as when it was written, Hamlet confronts each of us with the mirror of our own mortality in an imperfect world.
"It is an utterly engaging performance by Paapa Essiedu." (The Times ★★★★)
"... the percussive music of Sola Akingbola makes a vital contribution to a production that makes you feel, even if you are seeing Hamlet for the 50th time, that you are experiencing it anew." (The Guardian ★★★★)
"... Essiedu shines, borders on blazing ..." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★)
"He’s got it. Paapa Essiedu has that quality that makes you sit up and pay attention. His Hamlet is mischievous and flirtatious, charismatic and sarcastic. He’s kind of obnoxious at times, true, but he also conveys the character’s pain – the mask falls and suddenly there are whole stanzas in his eyes.Essiedu’s Hamlet is a fresh prince, confident, cocky, compelling, hopping from foot to foot, fizzing like an aerosol can. ... an arresting, accessible and entertaining production, with a shooting star of a central performance." (The Stage ★★★★)
"This is a landmark production: Paapa Essiedu is the first black actor to play Hamlet for the RSC in its 55-year history. He is charismatic, capricious and compelling: an impulsive, arresting presence at the heart of a production that reframes the dilemmas in the play by setting it in an unnamed African state. " (The Financial Times)
"... the performances are terrific, though, with Natalie Simpson handing out strands of her ripped -out hair instead of herbs as a piercingly distraught Ophelia and Essiedu the most compelling youthful Hamlet since Ben Whishaw." (The Independent ★★★★)
Paapa Essiedu, 1990- Tanya Moodie Clarence Smith, fl. 1988
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Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, Henry V
Henry IV is dead and Hal is King. With England in a state of unrest, he must leave his rebellious youth behind, striving to gain the respect of his nobility and people. Laying claim to parts of France and following an insult from the French Dauphin, Henry gathers his troops and prepares for a war that he hopes wil...
Henry IV is dead and Hal is King. With England in a state of unrest, he must leave his rebellious youth behind, striving to gain the respect of his nobility and people. Laying claim to parts of France and following an insult from the French Dauphin, Henry gathers his troops and prepares for a war that he hopes will unite his country.
"... the Shakespearean event of the autumn... this is just what the nation ordered." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★★)
"...
Henry IV is dead and Hal is King. With England in a state of unrest, he must leave his rebellious youth behind, striving to gain the respect of his nobility and people. Laying claim to parts of France and following an insult from the French Dauphin, Henry gathers his troops and prepares for a war that he hopes will unite his country.
"... the Shakespearean event of the autumn... this is just what the nation ordered." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★★)
"Doran avoids triumphalism while staying clear of any specifically anti-war interpretation... Robust and clear." (The Guardian)
"A production of huge flair and bite... Gregory Doran has crafted an impressive addition to his English histories project " (The Indpendent ★★★★)
"In Gregory Doran’s recent revivals of the two parts of Henry IV , Alex Hassell captured the complexities of Prince Hal growing up: the heir to the throne, at once conscious of his status and attempting to resist it, gradually becoming aware that his responsibilities are inescapable, until at the end of Part Two he is crowned King Henry V. In the play with Henry’s own regnal title, Hassell continues the process with intelligence and honesty. It is a beautiful portrait." (The Financial Times ★★★★)
"This production offers a strong and fluid account, traditional of dress but with glancing nods to modernism" (The Evening Standard ★★★★)
Alex Hassell, 1980- Nicholas Gerard-Martin, fl. 2013 Jane Lapotaire, 1944-
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Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, King Lear
King Lear has ruled for many years. As age overtakes him, he divides his kingdom amongst his children. Misjudging their loyalty, he soon finds himself stripped of all the trappings of state, wealth and power that had defined him.
"Sher is magnificent at the fierce, rebarbative side of this monarch. Reduced to long...
King Lear has ruled for many years. As age overtakes him, he divides his kingdom amongst his children. Misjudging their loyalty, he soon finds himself stripped of all the trappings of state, wealth and power that had defined him.
"Sher is magnificent at the fierce, rebarbative side of this monarch. Reduced to long johns and a white shirt, he also affectingly communicates the man who, liberated by adversity, exposes himself to feel what wretches f...
King Lear has ruled for many years. As age overtakes him, he divides his kingdom amongst his children. Misjudging their loyalty, he soon finds himself stripped of all the trappings of state, wealth and power that had defined him.
"Sher is magnificent at the fierce, rebarbative side of this monarch. Reduced to long johns and a white shirt, he also affectingly communicates the man who, liberated by adversity, exposes himself to feel what wretches feel ...The production is packed with very good performances. Paapa Essiedu oozes sardonic drollery as the bastard Edmund. David Troughton beautifully traces Gloucester’s journey from credulous blusterer to the broken-but-wiser figure who’s comforted in his blindness by a mad king. " (The Independent ★★★★)
"Sir Antony Sher ... gives us his King Lear ... a mightily impressive performance – one that will rank as a crowning achievement in a major career – in a production, directed by Gregory Doran ... that is bolted together with clarity, insight and a relish for the monumental." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)
"Sher offers such a vivid impression of power fading that you can feel how a mind would warp itself to make sense of such a decline." (The Times) "David Troughton’s Gloucester finds the searing truth the play contains ... Paapa Essiedu in a charismatic performance that is at once wounded and threatening... James Clyde makes a strong impression as Cornwall... Clarence Smith is suitably dignified as Albany." (The Sunday Times) "Sher himself is as monumental as the role… there’s no doubt you’re in the hands of one of his generation’s great Shakespearean actors, and he’s never less than mesmerising to watch." (WhatsOn Stage ★★★★) Sir Antony Sher, 1949- Nia Gwynne, fl. 2000 Kelly Williams, fl. 2016
Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, Othello
Othello is the greatest general of his age. A fearsome warrior, loving husband and revered defender of Venice against its enemies. But he is also an outsider whose victories have created enemies of his own, men driven by prejudice and jealousy to destroy him. As they plot in the shadows, Othello realises too late...
Othello is the greatest general of his age. A fearsome warrior, loving husband and revered defender of Venice against its enemies. But he is also an outsider whose victories have created enemies of his own, men driven by prejudice and jealousy to destroy him. As they plot in the shadows, Othello realises too late that the greatest danger lies not in the hatred of others, but his own fragile and destructive pride.
"The ensemble work here is terrif...
Othello is the greatest general of his age. A fearsome warrior, loving husband and revered defender of Venice against its enemies. But he is also an outsider whose victories have created enemies of his own, men driven by prejudice and jealousy to destroy him. As they plot in the shadows, Othello realises too late that the greatest danger lies not in the hatred of others, but his own fragile and destructive pride.
"The ensemble work here is terrific but it’s the inspired playing, and the crucial shift of perspective, at the heart of the production that makes this event as electrifying as it is long overdue." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)
"Iqbal Khan’s gripping production has already made history by being the first at Stratford to cast a black actor as Iago. But I had not anticipated how many fascinating ideas such an imaginative piece of casting would provoke. Hugh Quarshie is an excellent Othello torn between ancient loyalties and his assimilationist position, between his aching love for Desdemona and his easily fostered insecurity... his strong Othello is reinforced by Lucian Msamati’s outstanding Iago. Joanna Vanderham is a striking Desdemona, combining a tactile physicality with total devotion to Othello. " (The Guardian ★★★★)
"The production, with a palatial set designed and lit by Ciaran Bagnall, raises fascinating questions and grips throughout in what is a significant milestone for the RSC." (The Independent)
"Iqbal Khan’s compellingly fresh production casts at its heart two black actors. Lucian Msamati’s charming, charismatic Iago sets out to destroy Hugh Quarshie’s restrained and anti-heroic Othello out of an inexplicable hatred that cannot easily be categorised as racism.[A] Compelling and freshly focused, anti-heroic and unlyrical production, packed with twists and surprises." (The Stage ★★★★)
Hugh Quarshie, 1954- Lucian Gabriel Wiina Msamati, 1976- Joanna Vanderham, 1991- Show more Show less