In the welcome from Omnibus Theatre's artistic director, Marie
McCarthy says, 'not only will our audiences see Othello in a new light, but
also open Shakespeare up to those who think that stories written over 400 years
ago are not for them'. And, without a shadow of a doubt, she's right! Othello
Remixed is a fresh, vibrant, exciting and relevant take on this well-loved classic.
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| Kwame Reed as Othello |
Written and directed by Intermission Theatre's artistic
director, Darren Raymond has taken Shakespeare's mesmerising tragedy and
remixed it, breathing fresh life into the stories of Othello, Iago, Desdemona,
Emilia, Cassio and Rico.
Set in 'London 2019, Othello's story is staged in a modern day
boxing ring, urgently reinventing Shakespeare's warnings of manipulation,
division and revenge. Championship boxer Othello has chosen Michael Cassio to
be his corner man. Rejected, Iago is riven with jealousy and deceit. Desdemona
is in the centre of their conflict which may (or may not) lead to a calamitous
end'.
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| Hoda Bentaher as Desdemona |
With an explosive mash-up of language, the adaptation uses
Shakespeare's original text but cleverly interweaves it with modern idioms,
nuances and references. Who would have thought that pussy-whipping would meld
so beautifully and Nando's would have warranted a mention?
With an exciting ensemble drawn from Intermission's Youth
Theatre, all of whom have gone on to work professionally, Raymond has created a
fascinatingly tight and relevant environment in which there is some outstanding
and engaging acting from this young, objective and gifted group.
 |
| Baba Oyejide as Iago |
Kwame Reed as Othello is a powerful physical presence
throughout, whose performance is credibly charismatic and captivating. Hoda
Bentaher as Desdemona is superbly naive and wide-eyed until her world
spectacularly falls apart and her incredible physicality with Reed in the final
scene is breathtaking to behold. Baba Oyejide as Iago enjoys a different form
of physicality in his performance and manages to skilfully encapsulate the
inherent evilness - intimidation, mistrust, shameless abuse and exploitation of
the character.
Shamelessly quoting Darren Raymond who says, 'there is no right
or wrong in Shakespeare - his work is very much open to interpretation.' And
this is the pure glory of this production which is without a doubt a powerfully
conceived and executed exposition of mistrust, abuse, revenge and intimidation
– a genuine theatrical experience with physically powerful and cohesive
performances from a sympathetic and intuitive ensemble.
Photographs Richard Jinman
Trailer
Othello
Remixed plays
25 Jun - 14 Jul
7.30pm & 4pm
£16, £13 concessions
£10 previews
Tickets click here https://www.omnibus-clapham.org/othello-remixed/#BookNow
25 Jun - 14 Jul
7.30pm & 4pm
£16, £13 concessions
£10 previews
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