Othello

Shakespeare's master-piece, written around 1603, has long ago outgrown its own dramatic boundaries: staged in theatres countless times, relived: both as an opera and a ballet, made into a film, shown on television, in literature, art and comic books. The questions it poses seem to be constantly requiring new answers and to bring it down to a single problem would make it unequivocal, because Othello is about many things: passion, trust and jealousy; fidelity, doubt and treason; power and manipulation; ambition and envy. There is also the topic of race and racism, the talk of something different and strange. Private stories are intertwined with events which are important for the whole community and vice versa. Unlike most of Shakespeare's plays, we feel like we are in a chamber play, one with a broad range. The plot is familiar: the general of the Venetian army, the dark-skinned Othello, lets his marriage and his life be destroyed by his subordinate, Iago, a demonic ''pupeteer'' who manipulates people with a frightening ruthlessness and turns their weaknesses into a powerful weapon... Under the guidance of the director Franka Perković and performed by ''Gavella'' Theatre's ensemble, the powerful emotional charge of Othello arrives on the stage in Zagreb after a long time.

''Franjo Dijak is truly fascinating. He is getting stronger as an actor and becoming sort of a Champion of ''Gavella'' Theatre.'' (Igor Ružić, HR1, Lica i sjene)

''Franjo Dijak possesses the acting power to make a brilliant Othello. (...) Živko Anočić is a Iago who doesn't lack darkness...'' (Bojana Radović, Večernji list)

''The young Tihana Lazović in the role of Emilia was also colourful...'' (Tomislav Čadež, Jutarnji list)

''The translator, Andy Jelčić, made an effort to serve as a mediator for Shakespeare. First and foremost he made the language simpler, avoiding archaisms in favour of contemporary phraseology... (...) The clumsy and disoriented Roderigo is humorously portrayed by Enes Vejzović (once again the master of timing), while the broken father, Brabantio, is portrayed with a persuasive bitterness by Dražen Kuhn.'' (Nataša Govedić, Novi list)