Shakespeare in the Park - Othello

A lot of people have asked me for my opinion on this year's Shakespeare in the Park - Othello and while I had been trying to escape from my usual drunken post-play haze, I had also been trying gather my thoughts.

My third Shakespeare in the Park! The first was Macbeth with EL in 2011 and the second was Twelfth Night with 6 friends last year. This year, I have mixed feelings about the whole experience, on a personal, biased, level, as well as from a more objective standpoint.

Let's start off by saying that I don't go for plays just so I can sit in front of a laptop and start analysing it in a warped and you-tried way, as I have probably been doing... No. I attend plays because I enjoy going for them (I love being in them too, but you knew that already) and I especially love plays because of the people I go with. These are people that bother about what matters a lot to me and it means a great deal that we can appreciate plays together. More often than not, I would say, plays for me are a bonding activity, a celebration of sorts.

Which is why, in contrast, my Othello experience this year was a quieter affair, on a less celebratory level. Long story short, I had spent the 48 hours or so before the play worrying because Zhen Hui had come down with something and couldn't go and Lidiya had to take her place and there were complications and it had been pouring two hours before show time. Don't get me wrong, I had been super stoked for it and I am still stoked that I watched it. It being my A level text made me want to curl up with desire to watch it. All the lectures and tutorials spent analysing it only served to fuel my need to see it brought to life before my very eyes.

Anyway, the parts below contain some spoilers and the nitty gritty details, so if you're really particular about seeing things for yourself, don't go on reading. I'm not talking about plot spoilers (Mr. S wrote that hundreds of years ago, I don't think there's any much to say), I'm talking about production spoilers.

Tip one: Report to the Gothic Gate early. Lidiya and I were half an hour early and the queue was at about 80-100m long at most. It wouldn't have been a problem if large portions of Fort Canning Park weren't cordoned off for other guests. When the audience in front of us started streaming in, a large part of the lawn was already occupied.

We opted for a more centralised view and breathing, moving space, so we sat further up at the back, next to the path. Keep as close to the stage as possible if you literally want to be confronted with the majesty of the set. You compromise your freedom and space in exchange for the feeling of being more involved, but it's not so bad, really. You'd be spellbound anyway.

Okay, so SRT never fails to impress me with their set. The first year I was in love with the simplicity of the set, the second I adored the beauty and this year I was literally squealing and sighing at the gritty shipping containers stacked three stories high.

Image from SRT's facebook

One of the highlights of my night was watching how the whole set worked. Say you're not impressed by the majesty. Say it.

Now to address the issue in the picture: the radar. Be prepared for modernisation. Everything else stays true to Shakespeare's work, more or less (lines were slightly modified but I didn't have a problem with that), but the segment battle (or non-battle) against the Turks has been modernised a great deal: breaking news segments, radars, spinning missiles and satellites. However, this modernisation is not for everyone. Lidiya commented that it was quite awkward to have such a high-tech scene. Perhaps some may find the effects too excessive?  My greater concern, however, was the slight aftertaste of NDP when I saw this segment (don't laugh I felt it). That said, the issue was only minor and I appreciated the fresh change; it was incredibly thrilling to watch this segment. Very exciting.

The individual acting was great. The two Daniels playing Iago and Othello filled out their roles perfectly, each commanded attention and presence very well. I was particularly impressed by Daniel Francis' fluidity in his Janus like switching from 'honest Iago' to the 'devil' (look Ms Daniel! Quotations!). It was pure magic the way both Iago and Othello's presences melded together. Iago would 'grow' in his own mischief and Othello would appear to drown him out, and we'd see Iago slinking back into his place. ugh feels ;-;

It was lovely to see Othello and Desdemona's relationship brought to life. Lovely AND ALL THE MORE TRAGIC RIGHT? Desdemona's youth and vitality really came through for me (less so when I read the play), though she appeared to be accessorised. I decided, watching Wendy Kweh, that Desdemona would have been the most fun a character to play; her character is really juicy: the playful wife, interaction with Othello, Cassio and Emilia and her descend into misery make for A REALLY FUN TIME ON STAGE.

Shane Mardjuki was phenomenal as Roderigo, though I swore I thought he would have been Cassio! Now that I think about it though, Roderigo probably suits him better.

Oh ya lighting was most appreciated in Iago's own speeches. The linear lighting cast him in a sinister glow and the sharp shadows complemented his evil character well. I also enjoyed the effects of the lights on the screen (the radar). We'd have characters on the set fighting or doing an evil mono and the shadows cast on the back were just simply terrifying. Oh okay, I just pictured Iago on the topmost tier speaking and I had a moment of mesmerising terror when my mind did a perspective change: imagine you are Iago, on a narrow ledge with lights in your eyes, speaking to thousands, three stories high. If chills are not running down your spine, you aren't doing it right.

However,

there were several parts in which I couldn't hear Othello very clearly, such as when he swallowed his words at the end of the sentence or he just went really low on the ends. There were some parts that I felt were a little low on energy, maybe because I wasn't captivated by them and drifted off, or just because of the wordy lines. The difficulties of watching a Shakespearean play :-( That being said, please do at least read the modern translation. It'll definitely guide you along.

On the whole, I'm glad I managed to catch it because I took away so much from it. I learnt a lot from it for Lit and TSD. It did help me put things into perspective in terms of characterisation, and I applied what I could to the physicality (basically what is being portrayed and how it's being portrayed). It was a great cast of familiar faces, at least to me: Erwin Shah Ismail, Daniel Jenkins, Julie Wee, Gerald Chew, Shane Mardjuki, which got me so excited because it was like seeing old friends. It was all good, except I felt less for it than I was supposed to. And don't ask me to compare it to Macbeth and Twelfth Night! They are all different in their own aspects, plays I watched in the different times of my life. I guess you can really tell, a good production is more than just a good cast or crew, it's more about  non-technical excitement, appreciation and fulfillment you get. For those who are going please have fun! And those who have gone, I hope you enjoyed yourself :-)

For more photos, go to Sistic's Othello page or SRT's page! All I need now is for Erwin to tweet me.