David Harewood Returns as Othello in a Bold New Take on Shakespeare's Classic
Kevin, May 9th, 2025Tom Morris, PJ Harvey and a trailblazing cast kick off a major five-year Shakespeare series in style!
Othello is back but not as you've seen him before.
Launching Chris Harper Productions' ambitious five-year Shakespeare series, award-winning director Tom Morris (the genius behind War Horse and Touching the Void) teams up with David Harewood (Homeland, Supergirl) for a thrilling, modern retelling of Othello. Harewood, who broke ground as the first Black actor to play the Moor at the National Theatre in 1997, returns to the role with even more fire.
This production brings Shakespeare into the here and now, with political intrigue, military might, and love caught in the crosshairs of jealousy, underscored by an original score from Grammy-nominated PJ Harvey.
What's The Story?
Othello, a respected war hero in Venice, has it all: power, honour, and a fierce love with his wife Desdemona. But when he promotes Cassio over the sly and scheming Iago, the cracks begin to form - and Lago isn't one to take rejection lightly. Fuelled by resentment, he launches a web of lies, leveraging Othello's deepest insecurities to devastating effect.
