What's on in Oxford

Othello - RSC

24 - 28 Feb 2009

Cost: Tue, Wed Eve & Sat Mat £16.50-£23.50; Thu Mat £14.50-£21.50; Thu, Fri & Sat Eve £19-£26

Hours: Tue & Wed 7.30pm; Thu & Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm; Fri 8pm

Kathryn Hunter directs this new Royal Shakespeare Company production of Othello, starring Patrice Naiambana in the title role, with Natalia Tena as Desdemona and Michael Gould as Iago. Here the tour arrives at Oxford Playhouse.

Shakespeare's 1604 play is a study of jealousy - a successful man dragged into tragedy by his belief that his wife is being adulterous, his suspicions fuelled by a lieutenant overlooked for promotion and seeking his revenge. Iago sets up the unwitting Cassio as Desdemona's supposed love interest, thus sowing the seed for the "green-eyed monster" to completely take over Othello's character. Iago is one of the great depictions of evil in the repertoire; Othello, the Moor, a successful general, one of the most tortured and tragic of Shakespeare's creations.

Patrice Naiambana was part of Michael Boyd's Histories company, playing the Earl of Warwick, while RSC debutante Natalia Tena is best known for playing Tonks in the Harry Potter film franchise.

Joining the cast are Hannes Flaschberger (Brabantio), Alex Hassell (Cassio), Clive Mendus (Duke of Venice), Osi Okerafor (Soldier), Glyn Pritchard (Gratiano), Robert Vernon (Ludovico), Cath Whitefield (Bianca), Matthew Wilson (Montano) and Miltos Yerolemou (Clown) as well as Marcello Magni - like Hunter a co-founder of Complicite - who plays Rodrigo and is director of movement.

Founded in 1960 by Peter Hall, the Royal Shakespeare Company has built on an impressive history of performances in Shakespeare's birthplace since late Victorian times. The Royal Charter had been bestowed on the Memorial Theatre company in 1925 (a year before the original theatre was destroyed by fire), and when the new company was founded it was natural to be called the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

While the RSC's permanent Stratford home, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, is completely refurbished and remodelled as a thrust stage, the company has transferred its base over the road to the custom-built Courtyard Theatre. Its commitment to touring is as strong as ever and, under current artistic director Michael Boyd, the company has a renewed fervour for new writing.

Oxford Playhouse