Matthew d'Ancona's culture: This Othello is a tour de force

Matthew d'Ancona's Culture: This Othello is a Tour de Force

At the core of Tom Morris’s brilliant production is Toby Jones’s extraordinary portrayal of Iago, which stands out as the finest I have witnessed.

The great Shakespearean scholar AC Bradley described Othello as “a being essentially large and grand, towering above his fellows, holding a volume of force which in repose ensures pre-eminence without an effort, and in commotion reminds us rather of the fury of the elements than of the tumult of common human passion.”

These words seem fitting for David Harewood, who brilliantly returns to the role in Morris’s powerful staging—a part he first played at the National Theatre in 1997. Notably, Harewood was the first Black actor to assume Othello at the NT, breaking a significant barrier.

Harewood’s Othello is a figure of immense dignity, a Venetian general of legendary stature, making his tragic psychological unraveling all the more riveting.

Equally important is Caitlin FitzGerald’s Desdemona, who is portrayed not as a passive ingénue but as a woman passionately in love, yet openly frustrated as their marriage faces ruin through betrayal and deceit.

“O, these men, these men!”

Central to the production’s impact is Toby Jones’s remarkable Iago, which remains the most compelling interpretation I have encountered.

Author’s summary: This production of Othello delivers outstanding performances, with Toby Jones’s Iago and David Harewood’s dignified Othello creating a deeply emotional and powerful Shakespearean experience.

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The New European The New European — 2025-11-01

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