Othello, Lyric Hammersmith

Culture Whisper says: ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭒
Below is our preview, which explains the background of the show. Click here to read our Lyric Hammersmith Othello review.

Shakespeare's tragedy set in a pub
With its tales of sex, jealousy and revenge, the expected themes are all present in abundance, but this is Shakespeare as you have never seen it before.  Set in a northern pub, where the pool table is the centre of tensions and fights in the car park are commonplace, this production explores the dark and gritty side of human nature through one of Shakespeare’s most tragic heroes. 
Frantic Assembly theatre company
Perhaps the most recognisable name in physical theatre in Britain today, Frantic Assembly are famed for their energy, vitality and unique physical approach. This adaptation of Othello picks apart the text and intersperses it with the kind of tight choreographed sequences for which the theatre company is renowned. This is not a production for those who are strait-laced about Shakespeare; it strips this well-known play down to its bare essentials, allowing the physical world to intermingle with the vocal in an incredibly raw and powerful manner. 
At the helm of this production is founder and Artistic Director of Frantic Assembly Scott Graham , best known to most as the co-choreographer of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award nomination for Best Theatre Choreographer). A previous outing of this production of Othello also won a Theatrical Management Association award for best direction.
Intense physical theatre
Graham has said before that he prefers to use actors rather than dancers in his physical pieces, a decision that is somewhat necessary if taking on the intricately plotted Othello. Yet the ‘sense of fragility and uncertainty’ in the way that actors move (rather than a dancer's grace) reinforces the psychological intensity of Shakespeare’s text, as characters act on instinct, led by raw emotion and a desire for some form of justice.