Othello at The Globe

I have to admit that Othello isn’t near the top of my list of favourite Shakespearian plays.  That the fate of Desdemona lies in a handkerchief is rather a feeble plot to my mind, but I’m probably in the minority.  And then I saw that that wondrous of Shakespearian actors, Mark Rylance, was to play Iago at The Globe and his wife, Claire van Kampen, would be directing.  No brainer, a ticket had to be bought!  Not only would Rylance bring something special to the part of that most scheming and malevolent of soldiers, but his partner would doubtless introduce something special musically.

I was right on both counts.  Although Rylance’s Iago, far from being out and out malicious (some of the character’s most malevolent speeches are cut) appears confused and ineffectual, it kind of works.  His hatred of Othello is hidden beneath a banal exterior, rather than a threatening one.  Not a jealous rage but a slow burn malicious envy that he can never fill Othello’s shoes.  His quiet, demeanour, seemingly helping everyone, belies his ultimate plan and makes for a truly original take on the part.  As for the musical side of the production, it’s faultless.  And that’s not just because we’re privy to Mr. Rylance’s prowess on the mandolin!  It’s well know that Claire van Kampen is a prolific composer and, alongside Music Director, Bill Barclay, shows off her skills here to great effect.  The interpretation of The Willow Song performed by Emila (Sheila Atim) and Desdemona (Jessica Warbeck) is especially moving and sung to perfection.

However, these two major pluses haven’t convinced me that Othello is up there amongst Shakespeare’s great tragedies.  Jealousy is by no means an attractive emotion and can and does cause extreme reactions but Othello as a character doesn’t really command the greatest of respect.  The American actor, Andre Holland, playing him here is excellent at portraying his character’s hysterical outbursts on discovering (or thinking he’s discovered) his wife’s infidelity.  It’s just a pity that the clarity of his speeches is sometimes a little off.

Sheila Atim, so very good in the recent Girl From the North Country, is equally affecting here as Emila, despite her rather off-putting canary jumpsuit.  Actually, a lot of the costumes are a little jarring, especially Roderigo’s (Steffan Donnelly) dandyish throwback from the eighties.  And Mark Rylance himself is dressed like a bellboy who wouldn’t look out of place in the movie The Grand Budapest Hotel. 

   
But these are minor quibbles about what is, on the whole, a very enjoyable production with the highlights occurring whenever the incomparable Mark Rylance is on stage.