Trafalgar Releasing and Chris Harper Productions will bring the West End staging of Othello to the big screen.
Filmed live at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, the production stars David Harewood, Toby Jones, Caitlin FitzGerald, Vinette Robinson and Luke Treadaway.
Directed by Tom Morris and designed by Ti Green, the production features music by PJ Harvey with Jon Nicholls. It will screen across the UK, US, Australia and selected international territories.
David Harewood, who has recently been nominated for a Critics Circle Award for his performance, said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled that our production of OTHELLO is coming to cinemas across the country and globally. This play has always spoken powerfully to questions of identity, belonging and prejudice, and being a part of it feels incredibly meaningful. The energy in the theatre every night is extraordinary, and I’m grateful that anyone will now be able to watch it.’
Toby Jones added: ‘I’m so pleased and proud that our production of OTHELLO is being made available to cinema goers around the world. From our earliest discussions about the play we have been determined to shape and propel this tragic story with the momentum and tension of a cinematic thriller. I’m confident that the film will deliver much of the shock and release that the production has excited at the Haymarket Theatre.’
Caitlin FitzGerald said: ‘Bringing Desdemona to life has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my career. Othello is a story that still speaks urgently to who we are — our fears, our trust, our love, and our vulnerabilities. I’m thrilled to see it released on the big screen worldwide. My hope is that audiences everywhere will feel the beauty and the heartbreak of Shakespeare’s world in a way that feels alive, immediate, and deeply human.’
Producer Chris Harper said: ‘We are so proud of Tom Morris’ powerful new production of OTHELLO starring the incredible David Harewood in the title role, the magnificent Toby Jones as Iago and the wonderful Caitlin FitzGerald as Desdemona. The production is currently thrilling audiences at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End and we are delighted to be working with Trafalgar Releasing for the first time to take the play out to a wider audience. The upcoming cinema release of OTHELLO means that theatre fans and young people studying Shakespeare across the UK and the world will have the chance to see this extraordinary production on the big screen.’
Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing, commented, ‘It’s great to be working with Chris Harper Productions for the first time to bring this cinematic and powerful production of OTHELLO to cinemas around the world. Theatre remains a key driver of Event Cinema box office success and Trafalgar Releasing, in association with Spiritland Productions, is producing and financing the filming of OTHELLO as we continue to build our wide-ranging portfolio of cultural content captured especially for the big screen.’
The production has been described as compelling and electrifying by critics, with an ensemble including Vinette Robinson, Luke Treadaway, David Ahmad, Gethin Alderman, Ewan Black, Tom Byrne, Jonathan Cobb, Peter Guinness, Felix Hayes, Jasmin Hinds, Wela Mbusi, Jude Owusu, Tom Peters and Rose Riley.
Othello is produced by Chris Harper Productions, Access Entertainment, Kevin and Kate McGrath with Catherine Schreiber, Michael Watt Productions, Carolyn Lawson, Laurence Myers and James Seabright.
The cinema release carries a BBFC 12A certificate and has a runtime of 165 minutes.
More information can be found here
