Violence, sexuality, love and ambition are some of the ingredients that create the perfect Shakespeare tragedy — all of which were displayed on the York Theatre Royal stage last night.
The modernised adaptation of Othello performed by the brilliant theatre production company Frantic Assembly was a masterpiece in movement, design and performance.
Those familiar with the Shakespeare classic will know this is far from the original setting, instead of 1570’s Venice we find ourselves thrust into the Cyprus pub, Northern England where the action unravels from the moment the play begins.
Frantic Assembly’s choreography is often extremely complex, yet their numerous movement sequences always look effortlessly performed.
Othello definitely bears testament to this — from the first sequence where we were fully immersed into their world and the struggles they face as a group, to the final blackout accompanied by a gasping audience, they portrayed the text expertly with often only their bodies as their tool.
The title role of Othello was played by the talented Michael Akinsulire — whose portrayal of the protagonist captivated not only the audience but the cast surrounding him, as he recited his many monologues throughout the play. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for his future work as I can see more exciting and well-deserved opportunities coming his way.
The pinnacle of his performance was towards the end of the show at the height of the tragedies, showing the true range of Akinsulire’s skills as an actor as he discovered the devastating truth behind the ongoing secrets and lies.
This strong, powerful portrayal of Othello contrasted perfectly with the sweet, affectionate Desdemona (Chanel Waddock), his devoted new wife, who did all she could to prove her innocence as her character was tangled in deception.
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A special mention must go to the fantastic Tom Gill as he portrayed the wrongly accused Cassio, who had some of the most intricate moments of choreography in the show.
Betrayed by the twisted Roderigo (Felipe Pacheco), Gill brought an air of innocence to his character — which made us as the audience feel protective as he was frequently mistreated and manhandled. My eyes were drawn to his character throughout the entire performance.
The transitions from scene to scene worked perfectly by using the characters to move the set; you could sense the anger of Othello as he pushed the signature pool table back onto the stage whilst entering for the next scene.
This direction (Scott Graham) kept us immersed in the action as they took us from the pub, to the toilet cubicle, to the outdoors, often only taking only one swift movement. It kept us connected with the story as it progressed — and this decision combined with a stage almost always occupied with the actors left no opportunity for the audience to be distracted.
We noted a lot of educational groups at the performance, which was wonderful to see — especially as I have personally followed Frantic Assembly since I first studied them back in school.
Those lucky enough to witness this superb production will have left with a masterclass in performance, and I am sure will be inspired to create their own physical theatre performance pieces in the future.
I encourage all Shakespeare fans or anyone looking for a night out full to the brim with drama to watch this show — you don’t want to miss it!
Othello is at York Theatre Royal until Saturday 22 October. Tickets are available here.