OTHELLO Opens in February at Rose Playhouse

Returning to The Rose Playhouse after their acclaimed production of The Taming of the Shrew in 2013 and the opera Orpheus and Eurydice in 2014, Time Zone Theatre presents a new, contemporary adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello. Director Pamela Schermann transfers the action to the cityscape of modern London. Here, in this high-flying executive business world, we dive into an abyss of power and intrigue, riddled with suspicion and jealousy. Beneath the surface of this civilised and polite environment we encounter brutality and callousness.

"One of the things that inspired me was the tragic death of an intern at the London office of the Bank of America a year ago", says Schermann. "He died after working continuously for 72 hours. Although it is uncertain whether his death was caused by exhaustion or a medical condition, the excessive hours at work illustrate a brutal business practice, where money is more important than people, and where success at any cost is all that matters."

This fast-paced adaptation cuts Shakespeare's tragedy Othello down to its five main characters and focuses on their relationship with each other. The entire play is set in the meeting room of the company's office. Everyone is under constant surveillance, private and business lives entwine, workers are caught in a bubble without privacy or time off outside the Corporation. There's always someone watching you, analysing your every move and waiting for an opportunity to stab you in your back.

CAST AND CREATIVES // Pamela Schermann (director), Gillian Steventon (costume designer), Petr Vocka (lighting designer), Philip Matejtschuk (sound designer), Theresa Schwarzkopf (assistant director).

With James Barnes (Othello), Trevor Murphy (Iago), Samantha Lock (Desdemona), Ella Duncan (Emilia), and Denholm Spurr (Cassio).

TIME ZONE THEATRE // The London-based theatre company was founded in September 2011 and aims to encourage collaboration between British and International Artists. We produce bold and daring work with the opportunity for experimentation and innovation and we embrace diversity in the arts. Our interest lies in working with new writers as well as producing adaptations and reinterpretations of classic plays. Previous productions: The Last Day (based on Victor Hugo, Waterloo East Theatre, 2012), Salome (by Oscar Wilde, Edinburgh Fringe Festival & Etcetera Theatre, 2012), Werther's Sorrows (by Duncan Gates, Edinburgh Fringe Festival), The Taming of the Shrew (by William Shakespeare, Rose Playhouse, Bankside), Orpheus and Eurydice (Opera by C.W. Gluck, Rose Playhouse, Bankside), Woyzeck! (by Stevan Mijailovic after Georg Büchner, Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and the double-bill Shoot, I didn't mean that by Catriona Kerridge / The Last Days of Mankind by Karl Kraus at Tristan Bates Theatre in 2014, which was awarded public funding by Arts Council England.

THE ROSE PLAYHOUSE // The indoor archaeological site hosts award-winning productions and tells the visitors much about its life between 1587 and 1605. Since its re-discovery in 1989, the site of Bankside's first theatre has inspired artists and audiences alike just as it did over 400 years ago. The viewing platform above the partially excavated site serves not only as the stage area for the performances, but also allows the visitors to look down at the site, where red rope lights indicate the archaeology of the historic Rose Playhouse below. The ruins are currently hidden under a layer of sand and water, which helps conserve them. After being awarded a Development Grant from The Heritage Lottery Fund in 2012, plans are underway to fully excavate the site and put it on permanent display.

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