Othello (BBC2 19 Feb 2011, Birmingham Opera Company)

Published

8 years ago

June 19, 2016

Othello, Shakespeare’s great tragedy inspired music of extraordinary ferocity, violence and beauty from one of opera’s most popular composers, Giuseppe Verdi.

Birmingham Opera Company artistic director Graham Vick masterminds this radical opera event, with tenor Ronald Samm and a company of more than 250 actors, singers and dancers drawn from the community.

Verdi’s Othello explores the corrupting, immobilising power of fear in both the individual and the collective consciousness. Iago’s manipulation of fear in Othello fuels his underlying mistrust and paranoia. This need for identity is a primal one.

Seeds of doubt, fed by half lies, eat at the foundations on which a whole persona, a whole society, is built. Fear takes hold and the veneer begins to peel and, when eroded, personalities disintegrate.

production details
UK / BBC-2 / 1×155 minute episode / Broadcast Saturday 19 February 2011 @ 4.25pm

X (Twitter)Facebook Reddit

Related Topics:BBC-2 Opera TV

Up Next

ABC Of Britain (BBC-1 1964, Millicent Martin, Gordon Jackson)

Don't Miss

Edward II (BBC-2 1970, Timothy West, Ian McKellen)

Alastair James

Alastair James is the editor in chief for Memorable TV. He has been involved in media since his university days. Alastair is passionate about television, and some of his favourite shows include Line of Duty, Luther and Traitors. He is always on the lookout for hot new shows, and is always keen to share his knowledge with others.