Othello – Abbey Theatre – Review

From Thursday, 5 May 2016 To Saturday, 11 June 2016

Othello has stolen the heart of the fair Desdemona. She disappeared in the middle of the night and now they are married. Her father Brabantio, a senator, is enraged at this marriage without his permission. He does not consider Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army, worthy of his daughter. Othello places his trust in his ensign Iago, who secretly hates him for promoting a younger man, Michael Cassio, above him. Iago starts to plant seeds of doubt in Othello’s mind that Desdemona’s relationship with Cassio is not all that it seems.

This is one of Shakespeare’s best loved plays. It is quite a simple tale in comparison to many of his works, without the number of sub plots you would associate with his tragedies. It is believed to have been written in 1603 and is based on the story Un Capitano Moro (“A Moorish Captain”) by Cinthio, first published in 1565.

The stage is an unusual creation, with the wood panelling from the auditorium continued onto the back wall of the set. There are also seats on the stage, with only a central raised platform for the actors to perform. While this reduces the stage area, it does allow an intimacy not associated with the Abbey. It draws the audience into the piece, and the various soliloquies seem more intense when delivered directly to the audience, such a short distance away. The back drop does vary, allowing for alterations to the setting, but much is left in the mind of the viewer. The characters are also in modern dress of no particular vintage, moving the play from the original setting to something more familiar.

One of the most difficult things about staging Othello is making his transformation from newly-wed to murderous rage believable. While this is not entirely successful, Othello is played as a trusting soul who is not capable of dealing with Iago’s mind games. He is highly susceptible to his tricks and quickly sees fault where non lies.

Othello is played by Peter Macon in this production, a role he is quite familiar with, having played it a number of times previously. Macon has a commanding voice and powerful stage presence that is rarely seen on the Irish stage and is very impressive in the role. The other main character is that of Marty Rea as the conniving, duplicitous Iago and the two carry the production with style. Rebecca O’Mara plays Desdemona as a wide-eyed innocent, lost in love for her husband and failing to see the forces arming against her. This is a rich and layered production that is largely carried by Macon, moving it from the mundane to the remarkable.

Abbey stage – Running time: 2 hours and 50 mins (approx), including 20 minute interval

Credits:

Karen Ardiff – Emilia
Barry Barnes – Lodovico
Des Cave – Montano / Senator
Malcolm Douglas – Duke of Venice/Ensemble
Laurence Falconer – Officer / Ensemble
Liz Fitzgibbon – Bianca
Michael James Ford – Gratiano
Gavin Fullam – Roderigo
Peter Gowen – Brabantio
Peter Macon – Othello
Cormac McDonagh – Officer/ Ensemble
John Merriman – Officer / Ensemble
Barry John O’Connor – Cassio
Rebecca O’Mara – Desdemona
Michael Patrick – Officer / Ensemble
Marty Rea – Iago

Jung Ah Han – Set Design Assistant
Conor Linehan – Composer and Sound Designer
Joe Dowling – Director
Riccardo Hernandez – Set Designer
Joan O’Clery – Costume Design
Sinéad McKenna – Lighting Designer
David Bolger – Movement Director
James Cosgrove – Fight Director