Cheek by Jowl’s performance of Shakespeare’s darkest
tragedy “Othello” commends the bard by paying homage to
tradition, but adds a few modern twists and unique interpretations
to this particular tale of woe. The play, directed by Declan
Donnellan, effectively portrays the painful agony of Othello and
the manipulative skills of Iago as he leads the protagonist down
the sinister path of deception.
“Othello” tells the tragic story of a Moor, played
by Nonso Anozie, who has become an honored military leader in
Venice. He marries a woman named Desdemona (Caroline Martin)
against her father’s will. Despite reverence from military
leaders and many friends, Othello finds that some can never look
past the color of his skin.
Famous for its blunt address of race, “Othello”
deals with the harsh realities and racisms of Shakespeare’s
time, and the contemporary stage appearance and costuming choices
made by the producers of this performance seem to acknowledge hints
of these same racial themes in modern society.
Although the play uses contemporary clothing, there are few
dramatic liberties taken with Shakespeare’s text. One
interesting aspect of the stage cues, however, is that many
characters remain on stage frozen in the background as the
principals of the scene act around them. This effect works nicely
with dramatic scenes as the presence of a character about to be
harmed tends to raise the tension of the moment.
The stage is also used in unique ways as characters break the
fourth wall by running through seating aisles and appearing in
control booths to act out a few of their scenes. A dramatic wail
from a distraught Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, played by
David Hobbs, comes from the back wings of the auditorium and breaks
the monotony of a traditional use of the space.
Although the stage use can be innovative, there are a few
traditionally dangerous tropes of Shakespearean acting that tend to
bleed through from time to time. The high emotions and climactic
drama of crucial scenes are a little too drawn out and end up
drawing more exhaustion than sympathy for the poor Moor and his
unfortunate state.
The only other weakness of the play is an unconvincing chemistry
between Othello and his leading lady. Anozie plays Othello as so
commanding and dynamic that his sudden affection for his bride
tends to be a bit unbelievable, and Martin portrays Desdemona as a
weaker character than normally interpreted, which makes their love
seem flawed and doomed from the beginning.
Despite this and the few moments of over-emotion from Othello
and Iago, played by Jonny Phillips, the troupe handles most other
aspects of the tragedy almost flawlessly.
A particularly great performance can be seen in the whiny
sidekick Roderigo, played by Matthew Douglas. His portrayal of the
pathetic and easily persuaded minion of the mastermind Iago is
convincing and effective in communicating Iago’s genius
craft. Cheek by Jowl’s production is professional and can be
appreciated by true fans of Shakespeare’s craft.
-Lexi Matsui