OTHELLO AT THE BAXTER THEATRE THIS APRIL
By Professor Shose Kessi 
Dean of Humanities, University of Cape Town

 

The adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello by Lara Foot at The Baxter from 6 April to 4 May 2024, is highly recommended theatre. It is an ambitious and provocative interpretation of the original piece. Set in Namibia (then German Southwest Africa), it invites audiences to grapple with the legacies of the brutal violence of colonisation, hinting at the Herero and Nama genocide in the early 20th century.

Whilst the idea of genocide has been largely attributed to the Holocaust, this production brings into sharp perspective the historical connection between genocide and colonialism, an important provocation against Germany’s colonial amnesia and one that sheds light on the roots of contemporary racialised violence. Against this backdrop, the play opens with a powerful scene: German generals overlook the map of Africa ending with its physical partitioning on set, symbolic of the Scramble for Africa at the 1884 Berlin conference.

From the very start, Othello’s blackness is questioned through a Fanonian interpretation of the colonial encounter. The Martinican psychiatrist and revolutionary Frantz Fanon in his 1952 book Black Skin White Masks, speaks of the internalised violence experienced by colonial subjects who end up internalising their own socio-historical, cultural, and spiritual reality as inferior as soon as they become in contact with the ‘white world’. Foot’s Othello - born to African parents on African soil - but then adopted by English missionaries, is plagued by this internal conflict which manifests in epileptic fits. The complexity of the Othello character does not end there. The incantations, spiritual or ancestral callings in his journey appear as a reclaiming of his blackness, his humanity and his connection to his African roots.

In many ways, this complexity is more akin to what WEB DuBois referred to as ‘double-consciousness’ - the conflict of two ‘warring souls’ - with Othello wanting to embrace both his African heritage and his European home, breaking down claims to authenticity which often paradoxically insert themselves into decolonial discourses. This complexity is also mirrored in the translingual aspect of the production. The use of Afrikaans, English, and Xhosa, represents a powerful de-linking from normative monolingual approaches, in a way that localises Shakespeare, making it not only accessible to broader audiences, but also questioning colonial hierarchies of language and culture in traditional elite theatre spaces.

Perhaps the most important decolonial challenge to Shakespeare is Foot’s refusal to depict Othello as the stereotypical violent and hyper-sexualised black man consumed by the jealousy of Desdemona’s perceived betrayal. The character of Desdemona also resists patriarchal notions of the passive and subservient woman as she fights back and challenges Othello’s apparent delusion. Nevertheless, some questions remain unanswered in how to interpret this interracial romance. Fanon would be sceptical, as for him, authentic love is not possible under colonial oppression. He might see Othello’s love for Desdemona as linked to his abandonment neurosis, his desperate desire to be accepted in the ‘white world’, whilst never being able to feel certain of her love, hence Othello’s descent into delusion and paranoia. Foot seems to challenge this notion through very moving and passionate scenes between the lovers. Questions also remain of Desdemona. Given the forcefulness of her character in Foot’s interpretation, are we to remain faithful to the typical image of the innocent white woman who is simultaneously juxtaposed with looseness and deviance? These racial and gender dynamics that manifest in this Shakespearean text are perhaps impossible to resolve but should certainly constitute areas for further reflection.

This production is not to be missed! There are many aspects of Foot’s production that propose a decolonial reading of Shakespeare’s Othello. The production highlights the role of theatre as both a political instrument to challenge colonial violence and a possible site for decolonial love.

LIMITED SPECIAL OFFER TO STUDENTS & STAFF

Take advantage of this limited special offer to students who book for the first five performances from  6 to 11 April and pay just R150.

BOOK HERE: www.bxr.mobi/Othello

DISCOUNTED BLOCK BOOKINGS:

(for schools, students, seniors and group bookings)

University Residences: www.bxr.mobi/Rblock

Schools: www.bxr.mobi/SBlock

Seniors & Groups: www.bxr.mobi/GBlock

OTHELLO SEASON AT THE BAXTER

Dates: 6 April to 4 May 2024

Venue: The Pam Golding Theatre at The Baxter

Booking: through Webtickets online (www.webtickets.co.za) or at Pick n Pay stores