Othello directed by Kathryn Hunter for the RSC.
When Othello, an African general working for the Venetian State, and Desdemona, a senator's daughter, fall in love, they marry secretly knowing their union will not be approved. But little do they truly understand the powerful forces that threaten to destroy far more than just their marriage.
Shakespeare's tale of jealousy and revenge asks questions about our values and about "outsiderness" in a language that is specific to the voice of each character and has an unforgettable music all of its own. A story of its time and for our time, it is urgent, gripping, radical and beautiful.
Taking the title role is Patrice Naiambana, who, as a member of the RSC's Histories acting ensemble, has recently appeared as the Earl of Warwick in Henry VI, Henry IV, Henry V and (as the Ghost of Warwick) in Richard III, both in Stratford at The Roundhouse in London.
Kathryn Hunter returns to the RSC to direct following her 1996 production of Everyman in the Other Place. An acclaimed actress and director, Kathryn is a founder member of Complicité with whom she won an Olivier Award for her performance in The Visit. As a director she has also worked with the National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe, Royal Court and Almeida Theatre.
Othello tours Coventry, Hackney, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Oxford and Liverpool between January and March 2009.
