OBSERVER: Othello


Directed by Tanya Gerstle, this production aims to ‘strip Shakespeare’s tragedy back to its brutal emotional core.’ A five-actor ensemble explores themes of jealousy, betrayal and the consequences of post traumatic stress. The men are battle-scarred and broken. The women are collateral damage.
In a 90-minute, no-interval performance, audiences will be drawn into a physically charged world where unspoken fears and suppressed desires erupt into devastating action.
“With Pulse, what is not said and what is implied by the text becomes fertile ground for physical exploration – that ‘hidden story’ is manifested through action. I want to experience what drives a character through their physicality,” says Director Tanya Gerstle.
Leading the cast is Christopher Kirby (The Matrix Reloaded, Star Wars) as Othello, alongside Dushan Philips (Counting and Cracking, The Newsreader) as Iago. Tanya Schneider (The Whale, There Is No Antimemetics Division) as Desdemona, Lucy Ansell (Force of Nature: The Dry 2, Utopia) as Emilia/Bianca and Matthew Furlani (Credentials, The Iliad) completes the ensemble as Cassio and Lodovico.
Love shatters. Power corrodes. No villain rises alone.
Season Dates: September 11 – 28
Performance Times: 7.30pm (Tuesday – Saturday), 5pm (Sunday)
Duration: 90 minutes, no interval. Preview: Thursday September 11, 7.30pm. Opening Night: Friday, September 12, 7.30pm
Venue: fortyfive downstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Bookings: melbourneshakespeare.com
Cheryl Threadgold

Pictured: Melbourne Shakespeare Company returns to fortyfivedownstairs with a reimagining of Othello from September 11 – 28. Photo: Nick Robertson