Student productions are often long on ideas, short on resources and a grab bag of assorted talent. In essence this production left me feeling respect for the brave spirits involved, but little of the satisfaction that comes from new insights or even old ones well furnished. Promotion material had prepared me for a radical take on background politics – a ‘dystopian Venice’ and the ensuing case study of Iago’s fiendish revenge. I missed the vision of a ‘totalitarian future’ entirely.

Expectations, it must be said, were deflated too, in the face of technical difficulties associated with this performance space – noisy heaters, contrary lighting and a lack of intimacy between the stage and the audience. To some extent this lack is overcome by cleverly shaped and manipulated light coloured voile cloths which allow multiple entrances as well as potentially interesting shadow work.

With almost nothing in the way of dressing, the open space is furnished by the image-rich language of the master’s imagination and the focused intensity of the players – well, some players. Whereas the large cast is clearly on top of the meaning of what they are saying, the emotional and physical implications of the poetry are picked up by few, with unfortunate consequences in group scenes where the ‘just standing around’ look cuts through any dramatic tension we might be feeling. It was difficult to believe in the authority of the uni-garbed soldiers and officials – although this might be where I missed the ‘future’ look.

At the heart of the play however, is the frightening story of love destroyed by implacable, pathological evil and played out with insidious cunning. The Othello/ Iago relationship emerges as a strong presence in the production. As Iago, Andrew Todd ranges from oleaginous charm to vicious bullying. His mocking snigger at the end of the play, with the bodies of his victims in the background, confirms his complete lack of compassion but risks reducing the power of the murders we have just seen to melodrama.

Othello is a towering role, a paradox of noble dignity and jealous passion. Robert Enari, with velvet voice and physical assurance, is a confident and often moving presence. As the commanding general and military man of action, his performance falls short of the superhero mark, but as the play ripens and the net (literally ) closes around him, his vulnerability is poignant.

Whatever conceptual thinking had gone on for this production, its ultimate appeal is in the human struggle played out before us. The rest can be forgiven and forgotten if we believe in those.

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer