In a production that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary, David Harewood returns to the role of Othello with devastating power at London's Theatre Royal Haymarket. This modern-dress interpretation, directed with sharp psychological insight, proves why Shakespeare's tragedy remains essential viewing.
A Masterful Return to a Defining Role
Thirty years after first playing the Moor of Venice at the National Theatre, Harewood brings a lifetime of experience to a performance that simmers with quiet authority before exploding into tragic fury. His Othello is no mere victim but a complex military leader whose confidence masks deep-seated vulnerabilities.
Toby Jones's Revelatory Iago
Opposite Harewood, Toby Jones delivers what may be the performance of his career as Iago. Rather than playing the character as a cartoon villain, Jones finds something far more disturbing - an ordinary man whose bitterness and envy curdle into monstrous manipulation. His Iago feels chillingly real, making his destructive actions all the more terrifying.
Modern Dress, Timeless Themes
The production smartly updates the setting to reflect contemporary military culture while preserving the play's essential power. The sleek, minimalist staging allows the psychological drama to take centre stage, with designer's clever use of surveillance monitors reinforcing themes of observation and deception.
Supporting Excellence
Caitlin Fitzgerald brings grace and intelligence to Desdemona, creating a character who is both noble and genuinely bewildered by her husband's transformation. The supporting cast, including an excellent Cassio, maintains the production's consistently high standards.
Why This Production Matters
This Othello succeeds where many modern Shakespeare productions fail - it honours the text while making it feel freshly relevant. The racial dynamics, toxic masculinity, and political manipulation resonate with particular force in today's climate, yet never feel heavy-handed or didactic.
For London theatre enthusiasts and Shakespeare purists alike, this production represents the West End at its finest - ambitious, intelligent, and emotionally devastating in equal measure.
