Frantic Assembly: Othello at The Lowry
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Acclaimed theatre company Frantic Assembly return to The Lowry with their award-winning version of Othello. Layered with jealousy, lust, paranoia and murder, this physical, modern-day production made a huge impression on audiences when it was first performed in 2008 and revived again in 2014. Now, for 2022, Frantic Assembly bring a newly updated and electrifying version of the Shakespearean tragedy.
A newly updated and electrifying version of the Shakespearean tragedy.
Immersed in violence and brutality, this visceral production is set in a pub in the North of England, a far cry from the story’s traditional Venetian setting. The gripping tragedy about Othello’s passionate affair with Desdemona takes place among the broken glass, deceit and beatings in the car park. We are rooted in a volatile 21st century, and as tension builds around the pool table – it’s all about to kick off.
The gripping tragedy takes place among the broken glass, deceit and beatings in the car park.
As with many Shakespeare plays, the story of Othello still feels startlingly relevant for a contemporary audience. Tackling universal themes of friendship, sex, betrayal and violence, Othello weeds out the tension, fear and paranoia seeded within every community and demonstrates how easily ideas and relationships can be exploited and manipulated.
Of the new production, Frantic Assembly Co-Founder and Artistic Director Scott Graham told us, “It is wonderful to be able to take our work back out on tour, to connect and demonstrate the talent of this brilliant cast within a story that feels as urgent and thrilling as ever”.
Unapologetic, abrasive and razor-sharp
Vivid and dynamic, Frantic Assembly are best known for their thrilling, athletic and uncompromising physical theatre style. One of the UK’s best-loved theatre companies, in this new production of Othello, Frantic Assembly have taken Shakespeare’s beautiful and robust text and reworked it into a thrilling gangland setting.
An explosive combination of brooding design, dance soundtrack and brilliant storytelling alongside the company’s signature physical-theatre interjections, Othello promises to be an unapologetic, abrasive and razor-sharp production.
