Image credit: Marc Brenner
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Anthony Almeida
HOME
★★★☆☆
Shakespeare’s Othello is a tragedy fuelled by jealousy, manipulation and the corrosive power of mistrust. Northern Stage’s new production at HOME takes on this familiar tale of love and betrayal with commendable ambition and style. Director Anthony Almeida offers up some moments of real dramatic intensity, even if the overall impact is somewhat uneven and confused.
At the heart of the play is Othello, a celebrated general whose confidence and authority are gradually dismantled by the poisonous machinations of Iago. Dwane Walcott is a strong and charismatic Othello who seems to have it all yet when the mask slips, this is a man who can’t perhaps fully believe his luck and is therefore susceptible to the drip,drip,drip of poison from Iago.
It is a story that remains disturbingly relevant, exposing the fragility of trust and the ease with which prejudice and insecurity can be exploited. Director Anthony Almeida embraces these themes while bringing a contemporary sensibility to Shakespeare’s exploration of power, race and toxic masculinity. This feels like a deep dive into the world of gaslighting and a world where the ever present immediacy of news coverage means we are continuously bombarded with how to choose between facts and false news.
Almeida sets his version on a military base in Cyprus against the backdrop of The Falklands War but this idea feels underdeveloped. Apart from some old news footage on a TV screen this device feels somewhat superfluous as the text remains firmly linked to Venice. Costumes sometimes feel more Nineties and Depeche Mode’s Everybody Wants to Rule The World is sung by Desdemona yet it was only released 3 years after the Conflict ended. Despite these confusing elements, the military base set by Natasha Jenkins is excellent. Stark and oppressive with mesh and barbed wire and with a raised platform that lowers like the loading deck of a warship, this is a steely triumph. It acts as a catalyst for the impending tragedy as the walls literally start to close in on the doomed lovers.
The production has an appealing immediacy, with a stripped-back approach that places the emphasis firmly on the actors and the shifting dynamics between them. There is at times a admirable muscularity to the storytelling, and the tension does build as Iago’s calculated deceptions begin to take hold. Yet, despite the dramatic potential, the production occasionally struggles to sustain the psychological complexity that makes this tragedy so compelling. The pacing can seem out of sync with the action and dialogue, and lines vital lines of dialogue are occasionally muffled or don’t land with the necessary beat. This is a clearly talented and committed group of actors but possibly not all particularly comfortable and familiar with Shakespearean dialogue.
Iago, Shakespeare’s master manipulator, is the engine of the drama with his ability to turn seemingly innocent observations into instruments of destruction. There are flashes of deliciously dark humour in his duplicity, although the character could benefit from a more chilling subtlety. Maanuv Thiara plays Iago with the shallow bonhomie of a disgruntled squaddie resulting in the emotional trajectory not always achieving the devastating force required.
Image credit: Marc Brenner
Desdemona is a much more intriguing figure than often portrayed as the young bride caught between devotion and the increasingly dangerous consequences of her husband’s growing mistrust. Newcomer Phoebe Smyth makes her professional stage debut and its a highly memorable one for all the right reasons. She ensures that Desdemona’s vulnerability is palpable while allowing her to be much more than a mere victim of the men around her. This pale young woman is not remotely pallid as she beguiles Othello with her feisty and joyful nature and positive approach to life. It’s therefore all the more terrifying and heartbreaking that her shining presence is still not enough to pierce Othello’s growing paranoia and to alter the ensuing tragic outcome. Another excellent professional theatrical debut comes from fellow RAMDA graduate, Will Stanton. His Cassio is a beautifully measured and assured performance that feels authentic and engaging.
Ultimately, this Othello offers a spirited but not entirely satisfying interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s most psychologically intricate tragedies. Its themes of manipulation, misogyny and racial prejudice retain their unsettling potency, but the production never quite unlocks the full emotional devastation of the text. There is much to engage the audience, even if the final tragedy feels more solidly delivered than genuinely shattering.
This is, at times a very compelling Othello but when it loses pace, the characters feel as adrift as a ship full of conscientious objectors heading towards The Falklands for a war no one fully understands.
Touring til 20th November 2026
