Casting announces for Frantic Assembly's OTHELLO

Mark Ebulue, recently of the RSC and a former kickboxer, will play the title role in Frantic Assembly’s acclaimed and award-winning production of Othello by William Shakespeare – a co-production with Theatre Royal Plymouth.

The role of Iago will be played by Steven Miller, known for his four-year stint as Lenny Lyons in Casualty (BBC TV), with Kirsty Oswald (The Judas Kiss, The Winter’s Tale) as Desdemona. Frantic Assembly’s Othello is being revived for a UK tour beginning in October 2014, culminating in a four-week London run at the Lyric Hammersmith in January 2015.

Frantic Assembly’s Othello explodes onto the stage with this electrifying take on Shakespeare’s most brutal and gripping thriller-tragedy of paranoia, jealousy, sex and murder.  Fusing a taut adaptation of the classic text with its trademark hard-hitting choreography, Frantic Assembly takes a scalpel to 21st century Britain, exposing prejudice, danger and fear.

Frantic Assembly’s Othello is set in Yorkshire during the race riots of 2001, a time which saw terrible divisions and some unexpected alliances. Othello’s passionate affair with Desdemona leaves him open to jealousy and attack – with devastating consequences. Violence is a way of life and reputation is everything…

The production will be directed by Scott Graham, Artistic Director of Frantic Assembly, who won the TMA Award for Best Direction for the original production. Graham will also create new choreography for the show with Eddie Kay.

Also joining the cast will be Leila Crerar and Richard James-Neale, who will reprise their roles from the original 2008 production as Emilia and Roderigo respectively.

The role of Cassio will be played by Ryan Fletcher, who has previously performed with Frantic Assembly in Beautiful Burnout (2010), while Montano will be played by Dritan Kastrati, a graduate of Frantic Assembly’s Ignition programme - an innovative vocational training project for young men aged 16 – 20 years.

Scott Graham will re-direct this revival, with design by Laura Hopkins, lighting design by Natasha Chivers, sound design by Gareth Fry, soundtrack by Hybrid and additional choreography by Scott Graham and Eddie Kay.

Frantic Assembly’s Othello will be a co-production with Theatre Royal Plymouth and the tour will open there with a press performance on Wednesday 8 October 2014, before touring to the Nuffield in Southampton, Oxford Playhouse, Leicester Curve, CAST in Doncaster, Birmingham Rep and the Lowry in Salford.

Press night at the Lyric Hammersmith will be Wednesday 14 January 2015 at 7pm.

The production was originally a Frantic Assembly and Theatre Royal Plymouth collaboration, in association with Royal & Derngate Northampton, and developed at the Lyric Hammersmith. It was originally adapted, directed and choreographed by Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett.