Othello (Dramatized)

By: William Shakespeare

Narrated by: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ewan McGregor, Kelly Reilly

Shakespeare's Othello is one of his finest and most famous tragedies. This highly acclaimed performance, which ran between November 2007 and February 2008 at the Donmar Warehouse in London, features Chiwetel Ejiofor as the Moor Othello, Ewan McGregor as the scheming Iago, and Kelly Reilly as the gentle Desdemona. This recording features music written specifically for the stage production which enjoyed huge success - each performance was a sell-out.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2008 Naxos Audiobooks (P)2008 Naxos Audiobooks

Excellent

I turned this on during a solo road trip expecting to be mildly entertained -- but I ended up listening to it all in one sitting without pausing. It's so well acted. The voices are clear and the actors are great. 10/10.

You will fall in love

This is the way I wish all audio books are and sets the bar very high. Amazing performance, great listen, better than watching a movie.

Star studded cast delivers

This was a star-studded cast and a full staged production. You can tell from the performance how well the craft of acting was done a service by their performance.

Excellent Production!

This is a fantastic production of Othello! Very good opportunity to revisit a classic play.

Things to Consider (also some spoilers)

I knew the main plot points of Othello, but had neither seen nor read it. This performance was so compelling, I couldn’t stop listening despite the fact that Iago is a vicious character. I recommend that you give this performance a listen and think about some things:

1. Why does Iago hate Othello so much? It is just because Othello is black?

2. There are three main women characters and they are all called “whore” throughout the performance. Is Shakespeare sexist or making a commentary?

3. Why is Othello so quick to believe that Desdamona had sex with Cassio? Is it connected to his internalized racism?

4. Why does everyone implicitly trust Iago? Sure, he keeps telling everyone that he is trustworthy, but other than that, he seems to be full of bologna.