David Harewood as Shakespeare’s jealous general proves reason enough to see this new production from director Tom Morris. Having first played the part in 1997, Harewood has a special kind of experience. He is an imposing figure, presenting a dignified leader whose downfall increases in tragedy because of how inexplicable it is. Harewood is flawless. And Morris doesn’t exactly make mistakes. But this production is a strangely tepid affair and, overall, underwhelming.
Continuing the star casting, having Toby Jones as Iago is exciting and his performance is interesting. Leaning into a comic edge for the character is unusual. Iago’s wickedness can be funny (Tom Burn benefits as the dupe Roderigo). And the jokes suit Jones, who also uses an affable persona to good effect – you can see why people trust “honest Iago”. The laughter is too contagious though; there isn’t enough evil or fear around this “demi-devil”. Morris might want to emphasise chance and opportunism – Iago’s sexual jealousy is left out – but this aim is not clear enough.
There are more problems. While none of the acting is disastrous, too much is lukewarm. Caitlin Fitzgerald tries hard to focus on Desdemona’s independence which is, arguably, at odds with much of the text. This Desdemona is far too confident and worldly-wise. It becomes hard to imagine her putting up with much from a husband so the chemistry is lacking. Luke Treadaway’s Cassio is more a plot point than a person and Peter Guinness’ strange sounding Brabantio difficult to understand.
Morris keeps the action quick and that doesn’t leave much room for tension to build. There is help from PJ Harvey with the music, some swanky projections from Nina Dunn and admirable lighting design from Rich Howell. But none of it is used quite enough to make it memorable. More specifically, while the production does pick up, the starting point is timid so impact lacking.
The death bed scene is strong – Harwood and Fitzgerald are both excellent. And Vinette Robinson’s barnstorming Emilia, an impassioned performance, comes close to stealing the show. It seems appropriate that at the end, her face is projected the same size as Desdemona. But these stylish touches don’t add up to a production that is more than the sum of its parts. It is Harewood’s justified confidence in the role, his beautiful delivery of the verse, that towers above all else.
Until 17 January 2026
Photo by Brinkhoff/Moegenburg
