OTHELLO

Othello, a Moorish general in Venice, marries the beautiful Desdemona and takes her with him to Cyprus. His ensign and one of the most studied evil personages of all time, Iago, exploits Othello’s insecurities about his own position as an alien in society, falsely convincing him of his wife’s infidelity.

Possibly Shakespeare’s most complex play, Othello explores jealousy, fidelity, racial and gender expectations and the banality of evil in a society where the desire to break free from the predetermined roles set out for each character is an impossibility that ends in terrible tragedy.

Such intensity in written form surely requires very little else for the actors to play with. That is why Steven Hopley is bringing innovation to this classic by placing the audience, not in front of a stage, but in an art gallery.

“I chose it specifically for its intimacy,” says director Steven Hopley. “In fact, it’s so small that this is the first time Shakespeare has ever been performed there.”

Set in the TAP Gallery in Darlinghurst, the play will make the most of the intimacy and minimalism offered by this unusual location to pull the audience into every detail of the tragedy.

Aug 10-21, TAP Gallery, 278 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst, $24-28, 9361 0440, tapgallery.org.au

BY HENAR PERALES