A Review of National Theatre’s Othello

A Review of the National Theatre’s Othello
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A Review of the National Theatre’s Othello
The National Theatre’s Othello, directed by Nicholas Hytner, is a traditional, lucid, and long adaption of the play produced in 2013. It covers three hours and fifteen seconds without changing the original text. The most impressive thing in this production was the clearness of scenes that kept the audience on the edge of their seat till the last moment. Secondly, the central characters have been performed by Britain’s finest actors and actresses, like Rory Kinnear and Olivia Vinall, under the finest direction. Another remarkable aspect of this adaption is its unspoiled historical impact while setting it in the twenty-first century. As a result, today’s audience does not feel disconnected from its ancient background themes while enjoying a drama fulfilling their modern sense of entertainment. Overall, National Theatre’s Othello is a precise, impactful, and careful adaption of Shakespeare’s one of the finest plays.
The central characters have been played by the century’s best Britain actors and actresses. For example, the famous actor Adrian Lester played Othello. His racial origin, acting aptitude, and versatility to adjust to any role provided the audience with an unforgettable ‘Othello’ (Hytner, 2013). Likewise, Rory Kinnear performed Iago, providing the audience with a memorable image of the historically famous Shakespearean villain. Although the character suited him well, he could not complete the dialogue in the most suitable accent. It might be due to his poor command of the Shakespearean language. Besides his undesirable accent, his performance was excellent with his delivery of dialogue, body language, and facial expressions (Hytner, 2013). Olivia Vinall as Desdemona and Jonathan Bailey as Casio perfectly match the characters’ Shakespearean details as white, pure, and charming. The pair of Adrien and Olivia gives an awful feeling to the audience due to their stark personality differences, which Shakespeare wanted his audience to feel. Other significant characters like Lyndsey Marshal and Tom Robertson also perform their nature with twenty-first century’s performing standards without modifying the originality of dialogues (Hytner, 2013). All significant characters in National Theatre’s Othello delivered their best except Iago, who was left behind only for his ridiculous accent of Shakespearean language.
The supporting characters make the emotional firepower more stunning, understandable, and thrilling. They did not let the play lose its dramatic hold, even for a moment. For example, as Brabantio, William Chubb is a frustrated father whose mental torment is visible through his tone, ups and downs of voice, and facial expression. Likewise, the soldiers supporting the play’s military theme excellently provide an influential military base. For example, Gabriel Fleary, David Kirk Bride, and Tom Radford perform their military roles so perfectly that the audience can understand Othello’s envied personality after his officer promoti...