The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has postponed its upcoming production of Othello so that Doctor Who actress Sharon D Clarke, 60, can undergo cancer treatment. The show, in which Clarke was cast in the title role, was scheduled to run from February 13 to April 3 next year at Stratford-upon-Avon's Swan Theatre. The RSC announced the postponement today, stating that the decision was made to give the award-winning actress 'the time and space she needs to undertake treatment.'
Clarke's statement and support
Clarke, known for her role as Grace O'Brien in Doctor Who and as Lola Griffin in Holby City, expressed gratitude in a statement: 'I would like to thank all the beautiful people at the RSC for their understanding, love, support and healing energy. Othello will be my north star as I undergo treatment.'
She also spoke about her wife, theatre director Susie McKenna, saying: 'Susie, my family and I are overwhelmed, humbled and buoyed by the tidal wave of love that we have received and are so blessed to have an army of strength and support to hold us up. Love and thanks to my beautiful people.'
Macmillan Cancer Support offers a helpline at 0808 808 00 00, open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm, along with webchat and online resources for those affected by cancer.
Creative team's response
The production, directed by Monique Touko, is a reimagining of Shakespeare's classic, set against a climate-threatened future where a black lesbian woman holds power. In this version, Othello is a respected female military general whose marriage to Desdemona challenges boundaries of race, sex, and status.
Touko, making her RSC debut with this play, said: 'On behalf of the entire creative team, we send Sharon all the love for her ongoing treatment and recovery. As a director, I have been incredibly blessed to collaborate with Sharon on this major reframing of Shakespeare's tragedy, which reimagines Shakespeare's Othello through the lens of misogynoir. Sharon is the ultimate collaborator. Her generosity and passion for this project continues to astound me and I look forward to us coming back together when the time is right to share this production with the world.'
RSC leadership and impact
Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey, RSC's co-artistic directors, explained: 'The casting of Sharon as Othello is integral to Monique Touko's adaptation, which is why we have taken the difficult decision to postpone, to give Sharon the time and space she needs to undertake treatment. Sharon is, in every sense of the word, a warrior and, we know she will meet this challenge with the unwavering strength and indomitable spirit that she brings to so many aspects of her life and work. We look forward to revisiting this thrilling collaboration in the future and, on behalf of everyone at the RSC, we send Sharon our love and strength for a full recovery.'
The RSC said affected audience members will be automatically refunded, and a replacement programme will be announced soon. Clarke, who has a long stage career spanning plays and musicals since 1984, rose to fame in Holby City from 2005 to 2008, with a one-episode stint in 2019. In Doctor Who, she played Grace O'Brien, a chemotherapy nurse introduced in the series 11 premiere.
