OTHELLO RSC Complete Works Festival

Münchner Kammerspiele OTHELLO
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon
as part of The Complete Works

Review by Stewart McGill, 28th April 2006

Illumination in a dark exploration of sexuality
One of the great things about the RSC’s Complete Works festival currently underway in Stratford is the unique opportunity for audience to view treatments of Shakespeare from international, experimental and diverse experience companies on both the large and small scale. First guests in the main RST are the Münchner Kammerspiele, an ensemble with strong political and social aims who use classical and new texts to illuminate specific matters relating to society.

I’ve often found that when Shakespeare’s works are released from the language there can be vast areas of illumination. This Othello is a ‘take’ on Shakespeare, a distillation of themes reworked in a 2 hour noiresque study of race, hatred, sex and cruelty. Whilst not attempting to deliver the full Shakespeare monty, what one gains is an insight into a savage, sexually obsessed male world heading relentlessly for drastic closure.

This Othello is no psychological debate but rather a take on the lure of Desdemona to the world worn Othello, ruthless racism that has power to shock and an eroticism that often is missed in more linear projects.

Thomas Thieme is a white Othello – playing the moor. Fine, no problems and honest. The actor has a huge reputation with Kammerspiele and towers over the work. As he says, ‘ the entire audience knows that he is German, there is no need to paint his skin black.’ The theatre as metaphor comes into its own.

The sur-titled text of Feridin Zaimoglu and Gunter Senkel is shocking, littered with obscenities, images of deprivation and harsh racism virtually beyond limits. Yet it scores with demonstrating how deep rooted society racism is and how our language holds nothing back when manifesting the hatred.

Julia Jentsch is a wonderful Desdemona, loving, obsessed and deeply sexual. One cannot fail to see why Othello was so seduced by her.

Throughout the production Jans Thomas piano soundscore reflects the state of mind within the characters and takes over when language fails. It is a masterly stroke of directorial genius.

Luk Perceval’s production staged on a bare stage dominated by a surreal piano duplicated in black and white is going to be talked about for a while to come. Is it Othello…? Well, not exactly, but it is a totally absorbing and chilling descent into the potential of deep hatred.

Perhaps the main house of the RSC is not the best place to see this and I wondered how it may work in a more intimate space but this is a thought and academic. To see this work alongside the RSC and a host of other projects over the next twelve months in Stratford is a joy, indeed a privileged and the year ahead looks so thrilling.

Cast:
Othello: Thomas Thieme, Brabantio: Werner Rehm, Cassio: Stefan Merki, Iago: Wolfgang Pregler, Roderigo: Bernd Rawert, Duke of Venic: Wolfgang Hinze, Desdemona: Julia Jentsch, Emilia: Sheri Hagen, Pianist: Jens Thomas.

Creative Team:
Directed by Luk Perceval, Set Designed by Katrin Brack, Costumes designed by Ursula Rezenbrink, Music Composed by Jens Thomas, Lighting designed by Max Keller.

2006-05-01 09:46:16