Othello

Synopsis
A filmed version of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s highly acclaimed 1989 stage production in The Other Place, and superbly re-imagained as a television ensemble piece. Set in a 19th-century army encampment, opera singer Willard White brings fine musicality and intense strength to his debut ‘straight’ acting role, a performance equally matched by McKellen’s fussy, officious and deeply repressed Iago.
Series
Theatre Night
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Television; Video
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Transmission details
23 Jun 1990 at 20:00 (Channel: BBC2)
Duration
204 mins

Credits

Director
Trevor Nunn
Writer
William Shakespeare
Music
Guy Woolfenden
Production Design
Bob Crowley
Cast
Willard WhiteOthello
Imogen StubbsDesdemona
Ian McKellenIago
Sean BakerMichael Cassio
Zoë WanamakerEmilia
Brian LawsonSenator (1)
Clive SwiftGratiano
Clive SwiftBrabantio
John BurgessLodovico
John BurgessDuke of Venice
Marsha HuntBianca
Michael GrandageRoderigo
Philip SullyMontano

Additional Details

Theatre company
Royal Shakespeare Company
Production type
Television and Radio Drama
Historical period
Victorian
Plays
Othello
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Related items
Evening Standard Drama Awards 1989, The
Nunn’s Othello

Notes

Notes
Released on VHS in 1989. A DVD (released in 2003) of the production is available from online retailers.
The DVD extras include notes by Ian McKellen.
General
The production features Jamaican-born opera singer Willard White in his first non-singing part.
History
Transmitted in two parts with a fifteen minute interval. The filming of this production took a fortnight.
Awards
Ian McKellen won the Best Actor Evening Standard Award (1989) and the Best Actor London Critics Circle Award (1989) for his stage role as Iago.

Production Company

Name

Primetime Television

Archive

Name

BFI National Archive

Web
http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7255 1444
Fax
020 7436 0165
Address
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN

Online Retailer

Name

amazon.co.uk

Web
http://www.amazon.co.uk External site opens in new window

How to cite this record

Shakespeare, "Othello". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/15833 (Accessed 06 Dec 2024)