Thou told’st me thou didst hold him in thy hate. 

The opening scene of Shakespeare’s famous, tragic as always, play of Othello. 

On the 9th of April 2024, my family and I got to experience the raw, harsh, yet beautifully executed play of Othello, put on at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in London. Experiencing a Shakespeare play I personally had never read/ studied before was a complicated, exciting journey to the new piece of literature I can now add to my knowledge! 

We were in standing tickets which gave our viewing a more authentic feel. Authenticity being a necessity with the production of Othello. To add to this raw, authentic feel even further, the production was on during the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse’s 10th anniversary season which is known for being the only candlelit theatre in London.

Speaking of candles. Wow. How illuminating, cosy and special that, simple yet entirely effective approach was. With, what seemed like chandeliers, hanging down from the wooden architecture, these candles were lit and snuffed out several times, throughout. The simple act of light gave a certain otherness to the play, that made it much more intimate for the audience – like it was really just for them. This was a detail I particularly enjoyed. 

Director, Ola Ince, explained in an interview, how her aim for the play was to get the audience to sympathise with Othello – emphasising on the different difficulties he experiences throughout the plot, from racism to further mental health issues. This aim shows how the modernistic take on the play was important to their production from the beginning, giving the public an easier understanding of the storyline whilst making it a relatable, touching version of the famous literature. 

Examples of this modernistic take on the play went from deliveroo drivers to the police force. The deeper meaning behind the choice for using the police force instead of the typical army, was explained by actor, Ken Nwosu who played Othello, in another interview. He said how this decision was made as it’s a good modern representation of the solid, close-knit friendships one can form in a police force but also of how the system can fail. Much like the system fails in the modern day, Othello is a representative for how nothing is perfect and how a supposed foundation of protection that should always try to help and solve problems, isn’t always able to execute. 

The failing of the system signifies with a lot of Othello’s main themes, which is why this choice is such a resonating, significant one. 

An important part of the play that simply must be mentioned, was the alter ego or ‘subconscious’ of Othello. Ira Mandela Siobhan being this alter ego, perfected the role to its entirety. So much so, the art of movement he performed was all I was watching when he was on stage. His twists and turns not only led our gaze of the stage but also led our gaze of the story. 

Mesmerising. 

A detail important to note is that inspiration was drew by the company from Maya Angelou’s ‘The Mask’, involving the idea that people hide their emotions and put on this metaphorical mask to protect themselves, much like we see Othello do near the end of the play. 

With these incredible movements of physicality, the alter ego was an inspiring way to demonstrate just how extreme Othello’s emotions became and a truly incredible aspect of the play as a whole. 

The Guardian noted this play as ‘Inspired…compelling…exciting’. And I, as would many others, would have to agree. 

Actor Charlotte Bate, who played Emilia, analysed the play through three words; ‘you’ll feel differently’. These differences the performance wanted you to feel were truly apparent – from racism to mental health struggles and trust within relationships, Othello is a play that has and will continue to, work on many levels.

Truly something.