Eloise Kennedy

Having watched Frantic Assembly's captivating modern adaptation of Othello at the Lyric
Theatre, Hammersmith, I feel passionately that theatres messages are timeless and can
educate audiences of all generations. Therefore I agree to a with the statement that ‘live
theatre is a product of time but its themes and issues are timeless’. As a young female, I
felt connected to many of the themes of passion, love, jealousy and revenge which are
evident throughout the play and themes which anyone can experience. Initially I felt
conflicted as to how Frantic Assembly’s physical movement style would fit with the
Shakespearean text of Othello, which many may argue relies heavily on its use of
language, however, I felt that the movement, alongside the use of technical elements
helped to create a captivating performance that was modernised and held my attention
throughout the entirety of the play.

Scott Graham's production of Othello communicates a story highlighting the themes of

love, inequality,
Violence and betrayal. All themes audiences of all generations would be familiar with.
Therefore, this immediately supports the statement that ‘Theatre is a product of time but
its themes and issues are timeless. Graham chose to focus on youth culture and riots
between the working classes, setting his adaptation in a working class pub. A pub is a
frequently visited place by many and accessible to all, therefore immediately making the
audience feel at home within the setting. The use of props helped to immediately place the
characters in the setting of a pub helped to immerse us into the world Graham was
creating. A pool table was centre stage and often became a centre piece for a lot of the
action to unfold. A fruit machine, lit up downstage left, with a couple of bar stools and
tables effectively painted the picture of a working class pub. Both items also served as a
reminder of the game being played by lago and his desire to "win" at all costs through the
play. Graham's production was inspired b, violent nature of the Hare-field riots and was
successful in transporting the audience into this violent and intense atmosphere.

The open scene introduced us to the characters and the world that they inhabit, through a
Frantic Assembly movement phrase. This showed the relationships between the character
such as close and intimate moments between Othello and Desdemona, and it also the
status of each character as they portrayed a typical night in the pub. Rob Parkinson, the
sound designer was crucial in helping bring this production into the 21st century through
the use of Hybrid music. From the moment I arrived at the theatre I could not only hear the
overwhelming breakbeat dance music filling the entire theatre but I could also feel the
beat through my body when sat in my seat. This immediately connected me to the
performance and began to make me feel a part of the action keeping me on the edge of my
seat, anticipating for the play made to start. Therefore this accepts the idea that Live
Theater is a product of its time but its themes and issues are timeless. The fast pace and
loud beats of the electronic dance music with the heavy base was also effective in
creating the impression of a modern setting which supported Graham's interpretation of
exploring the overall theme of conflict and racism through youth involved in gangs, crime
and riots. As an audience member, I felt immediately transported through the atmosphere
created by this music into the world in where these characters actually lived which was
packed with action and drama, quickly allowing me to buy into the narrative of a world of
fighting, arguing, drinking in the local pub, which leads me to confidently accept the
statement and confirm that live theaters Themes and issues are timeless.

A further scene which I was also able to connect to as a younger member of the audience
was the intimacy scene between Othello and Desdemona. Having watched the connection
between the two develop from the opening scene, through eye contact and close
proxemics that had taken place I was intrigued to see how Graham represented the couple
as the play progressed. Just before the interval the atmosphere of the whole play changed
as the music became much slower, the lighting dimmed to a soft pink wash and all the
ensemble left the stage leaving just Othello and Desdemona played by Michael Akinsulire
and Chanel Waddock. At this moment we saw the couple come together on the pool table,
which represented a bed and we saw their passion and love towards each other through
the movement. The scene consisted of direct and fixed eye-contact between the couple.
Where they preform a captivating movement sequence, they were extremely close in
proxemics and their bodies connected through slow and gentle touches. Both actors
moved gracefully, weaving their bodies around and caressing and stroking their arms. The
use of direct eye contact, holding a fixed gaze and a small smile to further communicate
their bond allowing the audience to see into a world of their own. This scene was a direct
contrast to the previous scenes which had been fuelled with chaos and violence. As a
young audience member, I felt that this moment allowed me to breathe and take a step off
the rollercoaster of a journey I had been on with the war of the characters, allowing me to
really connect with Desdemona and Othello. On top of that the clear idea of their love for
one another was prevalent through the integrity of this sense linking back to the idea that
Theaters themes and issues are in fact timeless.

In light of the statement written, I feel that it can argued for the statement that Theatre is
a product of its time but its themes and messaged are timeless, because Graham's
portrayal of Othello explores Shakespeare's intended theme of racism, in particular in
relationships was portrayed though the use of the pool balls. This is seen when Iargo is
devising his plan, he picks up the black and white ball during his soliloquy, communicating
the idea of racism. Whilst-standing centre stage, he turns the balls and first dismisses the
black ball on the pool table before placing down the white balls. This visual imagery
immediately portrayed the theme of racism and brought the issues to the forefront of the
audiences mind. When initially written over 400 years ago, racism was not heavily
discussed, although it was unfortunately the case that Racism today is still just as
prevalent and whilst talked about we have not sadly moved on and many people are still
face discrimination. I personally felt that this theme is extremely relevant to a young and
old audience and unites audiences of all ages and classes together through common
issues. In conclusion, I felt extremely moved by the performance and I was able to connect
with the characters in the play and understanding the theme of jealousy and how it can
take over. I feel the technical elements supported the overall communication of the
message and made the performance more contemporary in style, thus supporting the
statement that thought theatre is a product of its time its messages and themes are
timeless.