Othello review transcript: Othello at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, starring David Harewood as Othello, Toby Jones as Iago and Caitlin FitzGerald as Desdemona, is a good, solid production of Othello.
It’s got some really interesting features and ideas in it.
Toby Jones stands out for me particularly. All the cast is good, but he particularly stands out as Iago.
His performance is very nuanced. His comic timing is superb. He got quite a few laughs, but he’s also really creepy as well and really nasty.
And I thought he played that really well.
David Harewood’s Othello is very statuesque, very right and proper, as you would expect. There are signs quite early on of his violent tendencies, though, so when the final act comes, it doesn’t feel like a massive surprise.
And I liked that about it.
I like the staging. It’s very simple, but also very opulent at the same time. And I thought that worked really well.
It’s very brutal in places. There was a gasp at one point.
I thought it was a little slow to get started. But otherwise, I think this is a good, solid production, and I’m giving it four stars.
Review: Othello, Theatre Royal Haymarket
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Tom Morris
Starring: David Harewood, Toby Jones and Caitlin Fitzgerald
Running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, including an interval.
Booking until 17 Jan, 2026.
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