Chronicle Summer 2023

37 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

character is replaced by a female counterpart to great effect, and we reflect on age-old struggles of over-protective mother and independent daughter in regard to matters of the heart. Othello is ordered to the Venetian colony of Cyprus to repel a threatened Turkish invasion. Desdemona sails with her, taking with her a close companion Emilia (played convincingly by Jemima Paganuzzi), Iago’s wife and Othello’s lieutenant Cassio. From this point on, Iago systematically plants suspicion in Othello’s generous mind, unseating her trust in both Cassio and Desdemona and eventually persuading Othello of their infidelity with the supposed ‘proof ’ of Desdemona’s handkerchief. A standout scene is that between the spurned women Desdemona and Emilia as they mourn the turn of events, and bemoan their lot as women, in the face of distrust. As the story hurls towards its unfortunate and bloody end, the cast work together brilliantly to keep the audience engaged and fully absorbed. With a talented supporting cast taking other key roles

including Bianca played by Katty Procope, the even-handed Duke, played authentically by Eva Scates, a truth-talking clown by Gabriel Nagy, and hot-headed Roderigo by Oscar Feltham-White, all members of the ensemble shone. Of particular note were scenes near the beginning in which the ensemble worked together with a powerful stillness and understanding of theatrical space to create the sense of military discipline imposed in a fragmented landscape. Contrastingly, the loosening of morals and disintegration within the military were shown in the party scene in Cyprus, with its clever use of light and sound design ( James Bailey) alongside the slow-motion yet frenzied dancing of the crowd. This provides powerful audio and visual context for the Iago-engineered drunken brawl between Cassio and Roderigo and foreshadows the increasing distrust and violence within the second half of the play. Finally as the simmering tensions, whispered jealousies and betrayal become almost intolerable, the most unthinkable and horrendous of all murders occurs, that

of fair Desdemona at Othello’s hand and the stage assumes a bottomless and deathly calm as the truth is revealed and Othello is left holding her murdered wife in her arms within the upturned boat … their love now forever as cracked and unfixable as their dystopian surroundings. This production surely showcased Teddies strengths to the utmost and provided a tremendous opportunity for growth and shared goals for all pupils and staff. Involved in all aspects of the production were pupil crews supporting teachers and professionals - from cast to lighting, set, wardrobe and sound. The technical teams were skilfully managed by stage manager Lara Paul and technician, James Bailey. The production was a resounding success and audience members left shaken and definitely stirred by this illuminating and compelling production. Well done to the whole team, it was a fabulous first experience for me of the scope and excellence of work within the Drama Department at Teddies. Othello showed at The North Wall from 23rd – 26th November 2022

By Airlie Scott

Sade McNichols-Thomas as Othello and Felix Forsyth as Iago