Sixth Form trip to Othello

Promptly and patiently, the Sixth Formers all gathered in the social kitchen in anticipation of seeing Othello by William Shakespeare at the National Theatre in London. The play displays the tragedies of the great Othello who is deceived into loathing his faithful wife by a villainous character, who goes by the name, Iago. It comes to an end with a rather intense yet sombre finish due to multiple deaths, including our noble protagonist. The adversity causing our two passionate lovers to separate in demise most certainly brought a calamitous completion to the story; their devotion to one another was unfortunately seen as a threat to the patriarchal order and social norms of the Jacobean society. Overall, this play highlights themes from mixed-race relationships to the extremes of jealousy, and despite the dismal ending, the play contained much comedic tone! We could all agree the entire experience was engaging and left us with much to comment on for our journey home.

As we arrived at the South Bank, we split up in search of dinner. Having discussed it more than the play itself, my group and I raced for Wagamama’s. Luckily enough, a table swiftly opened for us; we all enjoyed our meals and were thankful for Japanese cuisine as we devoured our food. With half an hour to spare before we had to rejoin the others, my group and I visited different shops in search of snacks to bring into the play. Unfortunately, Pret a Manger had had a busy day and there was not much left for us, so we browsed Foyles for books to waste the remainder of the time, before heading back to our meeting point. We did however, take advantage of the marvellous Christmas lights strung up around South Bank and took many wonderful photos.

As for the play itself, we could all agree that the lighting and sound effects aided the distressed and tension-filled atmosphere. The character Othello had immense lighting to reflect his demeanor and emotions at the time. For example, during his downfall, the harsh light began to flash and a recording of voices echoed in the theatre. It created an extreme element and brought out his feelings extensively. The audience felt sorrow for the victimised characters as much of the ending became violent and tragic; a few tears were shed from the Challoner's community, from which I’ll refrain from name and shame. Overall, the play was very enjoyable and as a fan of Shakespeare and theatre, I would highly recommend this to all of you!