Frantic Assembly has announced casting for its acclaimed production of Shakespeare’s Othello which will tour from this autumn, opening at Curve Theatre Leicester on 19 September.
Michael Akinsulire will play Othello, Joe Layton will play Iago, Chanel Waddock will play Desdemona, Oliver Baines will play Montano, Tom Gill will play Cassio, Felipe Pacheco will play Roderigo, Hannah Sinclair Robinson will play Bianca, Kirsty Stuart will play Emilia, and Matthew Trevannion will play Brabantio.
Five members of the Othello cast and creative team are past graduates of Frantic Assembly’s Ignition programme including Associate Director David Gilbert, Co-Choreographer Perry Johnson, Joe Layton (Iago), Oliver Baines (Montano) and Felipe Pacheco (Roderigo), proving that Frantic Assembly is at the forefront of finding, developing, and providing opportunity for new talent from all over the UK.
Ignition is a free, nationwide talent development programme for young people aged 16- 24. It seeks out underrepresented talent in unexpected places, playing a vital role in dismantling barriers that can prevent fresh perspectives from revitalising the Arts. Ignition continues to transform lives, open doors and allows young people to reach beyond what they thought they were capable of.
Frantic Assembly Co-Founder and Artistic Director Scott Graham said: “It is wonderful to be able to take our work back out on tour, to connect and demonstrate the talent of this brilliant cast within a story that feels as urgent and thrilling as ever”.
Blisteringly relevant today, Othello exposes the tension, fear and insecurity buried beneath the veneer of our relationships and how easily that can be maliciously exploited. Lies and truths are blurred to create a poison paranoia that eats away from the inside, manipulating and destroying, turning a community upon itself.
Othello will tour the UK from Autumn onwards, opening at Curve Theatre Leicester on 19 September 2022. Full listings and ticket information can be found here.
