Othell-OH !!


I don't like to say I'm partial to a bit of theatre because it sounds pretentious and if I'm really honest I don't see a whole lot of it. I always say I'd see a lot more plays if there was more good theatre on near me and I could afford it. I also say I'd be far more of an outdoor person if we had better weather but living 
In Ireland, we really don't so it makes for rather pointless speculation.

A few days ago I got an invite to go see the national theatre live production of Othello. It's showing in the national theatre in London ( I'm only guessing here because where else would the UK's national theatre be based ) and for one night they were screening it in cinemas all 
Around the UK and Ireland so it seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. 

After trekking down to dungarvan to see it I was lamenting the fact that its not available in Waterford and then later discovered it is. I'd just ignored the posters advertising it because they are mostly showing operas and you'd have to pay me to sit through one of those. 

I was a little wary about the fact that it was over three hours long but at least I was getting value for my €15. And it turns out they have the cosiest cinema seating I've ever encountered, without trying to con you out of extra money for it the way most cinema chains do by calling it premium seating and we were only saying how it would be a perfect opportunity for a leaving cert class to see othello , if it was still on the leaving cert when suddenly 30 or so 17 year olds arrive in the cinema sitting in the rows around ours. So it just goes to show that you can summon hoardes of teenagers just by mentioning them. Kind of like the way they used to say if you said the devils name three times while looking in the mirror that you would summon him. Yep just like that but with noisy and bored teenagers.

I didn't do Othello in school and I can't say I'd ever read the play but I had it summarised for me so I wasn't spending the first half hour trying to work what the hell is going on. The basic plot is this. Othello ( the main character, in case the name of the play wasn't a giveaway) is a black ( worth mentioning because it was sort of a big deal at the time ) general in the army and he has just caused considerable scandal by marrying a much younger woman called Desdemona. He gets called away to a war that's over before it begins and he has just appointed a young soldier ( who's name I've already forgotten ) as his 
Lieutenant which leaves Iago ( another soldier ) passed over for promotion and seriously put out by this. Iago decides the 
best way to get the promotion he feels he 
Clearly deserved is to discredit the current lieutenant by first making othello think he is a drunk and then convincing othello that his lieutenant is having an affair With his new wife and of course disaster ensues. Sure it wouldn't be Shakespeare if it didn't.

the whole thing was done In modern dress and in a modern setting which took 
Some getting used to but about 5 minutes in I'd forgotten it was in Shakespearian English and was thoroughly engrossed. it was brilliantly done and I was suitably impressed so well done national theatre and you know Shakespeare. 

Before the show they showed ads of all the other stuff they were going to be showing and then we realised that most of it wasnt going to be coming to a cinema anywhere near us which was kind of heartbreaking. Why does Dublin get all the good stuff. Stupid Dublin 

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