OTHELLO
by William Shakespeare
PRODUCTIONS
Open-air Theatre
Richard Walker as Iago and John Lott as Othello
Wed 21 June & Friday 23 June - Saturday 1 July 1978 at 7.30pm (no performance on Sunday)
Performed in the open air in the courtyard of Abington Park Museum, Park Avenue South, Northampton NN1 5LW
This production was staged at a time when attitudes about cultures and how they are represented was different. Many people living in the 1970s had little awareness of what would today be considered inappropriate or offensive. We are publishing the images here because it is an historic record which aides our understanding of times gone by. We do not condone how things were done in the past.
CAST & CREW
Othello John Lott
Desdemona Jane Bloomfield
Cassio Mike Lynch
Iago Richard Walker
Emilia Kate Richardson
Roderigo Rob Childs
Bianca Eve Noakes
Duke of Venice Ken York
Brabantio Bob Hancock
Gratiano Stephen Dickens
Lodovico Alan Galpin
Montano Austin Holland
Senators John Hendy, Owen Warr, Horace Smith
Gentlemen, messengers, ladies etc Andrew Garner, Brian Harrap, Mark Tilley, John Hendy, Richard Sharp, Angela Dickson, Denise Swann
Director Margaret Dickens
Production assistant Patricia Bancroft
Stage manager Ian Geddes
Assistant stage managers David Clark, Liz Clark, Lindsay Ingham, Greta Hendy, Grace Ciappara, Ann West, Rachel Green
Setting design and painting Richard Griffiths
Set construction Richard Sharp
Costumes Alison Dunmore, Ruth Sharpk
Costumes assistants Vera Kightley, Sheila Hardwick
Music & effects Richard Griffiths
Lighting & sound Colin Brett, John McNab, Guy Dickens
Fight arranger Gilbert Gordon
Business manager Stephen Dickens
Hair Polly Johnson, Valerie Parker
Photographs Jim Parker
Posters R.A. Meanwell
Photo gallery
Shakespeare's tragedy is about a Moorish military commander who has recently married Desdemona, against her father's wishes.
Othello's junior officer, Iago, encourages Othello to be jealous, resulting in Othello killing his wife in a fit of rage.
As was common at the time, Masque's production featured a white man playing the part of Othello, 'blacking up' his face and wearing a wig. This would not happen today. These photographs are published as an historic record and do not reflect Masque Theatre's attitudes today.
John Lott as Othello
Jane Bloomfield as Desdemona
Masque Theatre's production is directed by Margaret Dickens.