Theatre Royal, 7.30pm, August 25-27: Othello

Actor Elizabeth Nabben loves Tasmania and tells me about a two week visit here that saw her visit MONA, spend ages exploring and then wanting to explore some more! Elizabeth is also keen on visits to the Tasmanian markets and Port Arthur. On her upcoming visit Elizabeth will be with the Bell Shakespeare Company and their production of Othello but between the performances she hopes to get some spare time to visit Bruny Island.

Elizabeth tells me she didn’t always want to be an actor but performing was always the aim just in a different medium. Elizabeth started learning dance at age 2 but due to damage done to a disc in her knee had to abandon her dancing ambitions. To counteract for that disappointment Elizabeth started to take theatre study which encouraged her interest in communication.

Several Jacobean plays later Elizabeth finds herself interpreting the bard as Desdemona in Othello. She tells me that even though Shakespeare lived over 400 years ago he had ‘incredible insight into women’s and men’s psyches, of the latter demonstrating in his plays how men internalise their insecurity and how the male ego may materialise into unjustified jealousy. This may be observed in Othello.

As to the dialogue of Shakespeare Elizabeth says the company, although mostly faithful to the text, may occasionally find a word that is too difficult to understand for modern day audiences or to incorporate into a modern retelling and so will be edited.

As for learning the lines Elizabeth says that is easy because ‘Shakespeare has the rhythm of a song’.

The play is set in a psychological landscape and in Elizabeth’s words ‘the fashion is contemporary elegant’

You can see this elegant Bell Shakespeare interpretation when Othello plays at the Theatre Royal Thurs 25 to Sat 27 August & 7.30pm.
Paula Xiberras