Othello *** TNT
His Othello may not rank among the greats but, in his first foray into Shakespeare, stand-up comic Lenny Henry gives a more than adequate portrayal of the jealous Moor goaded to murder by a scheming malcontent.
Though his delivery lacks subtlety in the quieter moments (and there’s an occasional tendency to gabble) he’s physically imposing with a surprisingly resonant timbre to his voice. Playfully loving with Desdemona, his girlish new wife, and dignified in his dealings with the troops he commands, he rises to the challenge of the final powerful scenes with commendable, credible passion.
But experience shows, and Conrad Nelson’s Iago is a more complex creation.There’s no nobility of soul here, but a devious, self-serving and dangerous little worm who sees slight at every turn and puts every flaw to his own devious advantage.What is, perhaps, missing from his poisonously compelling performance, though, is a sense of how he has managed for so long to dupe all and sundry into believing in his much-praised but totally sham honesty.
Northern Broadsides’ director Barry Rutter keeps the accents local and the action unfussy on an equally uncluttered set. It’s a clear if unrevelatory production which ensures that this tragedy of human weakness unfolds in an accessible, straightforward manner and shows that Henry is capable of much more than making an audience laugh.
Trafalgar Studios 1, Whitehall, SW1A 2DY (0870 060 6632) www.ambassadortickets.com/trafalgarstudios till 12th December (£20 - £55)
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