English Touring Theatre Announces THE OTHELLO PROJECT At Wilton's Music Hall

English Touring Theatre Artistic Director Richard Twyman, in collaboration with Amal - A Said Foundation Project, today announces The Othello Project, an additional programme of events taking place on 20 May, 27 May and 3 June, during the run of ETT's co-production of Othello, with Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory, at Wilton's Music Hall. The events will delve deeper into the production's exploration of Othello's religious and cultural identity, finding the resonances for an audience today. The production opened at Tobacco Factory Theatres in February and runs at Exeter Northcott Theatre from 9 - 13 May, before coming to Wilton's Music Hall from 16 May - 3 June.

In the lead up to the Festival and for the duration of the show's run at Wilton's Music Hall, English Touring Theatre, with the support of Amal, will be releasing a podcast series that explores what Shakespeare's Othello means in Britain today. ETT and stf have also allocated a number of free tickets for local school groups, giving them the opportunity to see the production during the run. For more information please contact admin@ett.org.uk

Richard Twyman said today, "We are incredibly excited to be collaborating with the Amal Project to create The Othello Project. Othello tells the story of a life divided by racism and prejudice and these events offer audiences an in-depth investigation into the themes that Shakespeare's most contemporary tragedy presents."

Co-curator Abdul-Rehman Malik said, "Richard Twyman's Othello breaks new ground by demonstrating how disturbingly relevant and profound the play is to our times. It shows us the political, social, cultural and religious faultlines that we are contending with today and offers a searing critique of xenophobia and patriarchy, empire and privilege. The Othello Project presents a series of cutting-edge artistic responses to the play and creates and dynamic circle of art, music, dialogue and theatre that will engage, delight and even outrage audiences - just what good theatre is supposed to do. By engaging with British Muslim cultural leaders and producers, The Othello Project offers a unique platform to often ignored voices and cultural actors."

Amal Project Manager, Fatima Mullick said "We are delighted to be supporting English Touring Theatre for The Othello Project. Whilst promoting some of the most exciting Muslim artists and writers working in the UK today, these events encourage audiences to engage deeply with this unique interpretation of Shakespeare."

Programme of Events

Curated by English Touring Theatre and Abdul-Rehman Malik

All events take place at Wilton's Music Hall. Apart from the matinee and evening performances of Othello, all events listed below are free to attend and entrance will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Saturday 20th May

12pm - 'Othello Documentary' - premier of documentary filmed by Nadir Nahdi

1-1:45pm - 'Live Panel Discussion' - discussion with Richard Twyman, Abdul Rehman-Malik and Kinsi Abdulleh

1:30-2:15pm - 'Food and Oud' - Specialty food event accompanied by live Oud performance Kareem Samara

2:30pm - Othello matinee performance

6-6:30pm - '10 minute plays - Short response plays from Firdos Ali, Hassan AbdulRazzak and Avaes Mohammed.

6:30-7:15pm - Performance from Britsh Muslim hip-hop poet Muneera Pilgrim

7:30pm - Othello evening performance

All Day - 'The East End of Islam' - photography exhibition by Rehan Jamil

Saturday 27th May

5:45pm - Live Panel Discussion chaired by Jerry Brotton

Saturday 3rd June

5:45pm - Live Panel Discussion - speakers TBC

PEOPLE:

Abdul Rehman-Malik

An award-winning London-based journalist, public speaker and educator. Abdul is the Creative Consultant on this production of Othello and co-curator of The Othello Project.

Richard Twyman

Artistic Director of English Touring Theatre and Director of Othello

Kinsi Abdulleh

Artist, Activist and founder of NUMBI

Nadir Nahdi

Filmmaker, Producer and founder of the creative platform BENI

Kareem Samara

A multi-instrumentalist and composer from London. His work focuses on the electro acoustic possibilities of the Oud and Arabic music

Firdos Ali

Somali-British Playwright and participant of Talawa Writers' Programme. Works include How I feel (Bunker Without Borders); Struggle (Talawa Firsts 2015)

Hassan AbdulRazzak

A playwright whose credits include Baghdad Wedding, The Prophet and Trump in Palestine (part of the Top Trumps show at Theatre 503 in January)

Avaes Mohammed

Playwright (Hurling Rubble at the Sun/Hurling Rubble at the Moon) and Essayist (The Independent, The Telegraph). Associate Artist with Red Ladder Theatre Company, Fellow of the Muslim Institute and Trustee of the Bhopal Medical Appeal.

Muneera Pilgrim

British Muslim hip-hop spoken word artist aka Tanya Muneera Williams. Tanya is one half of Poetic Pilgrimage.

Rehan Jamil

Documentary photographer, books include Common Ground: Portraits of Tower Hamlets and Common Ground: Aspects of Contemporary British Muslim Experience

Jerry Brotton

Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University and author of books including This Orient Isle

PODCASTS:

Episode #1: Othello for Our Times - release date: 5 May

With Richard Twyman and Jerry Brotton

Episode #2: Inside the Soul of Moor - release date: 12 May

With Abraham Popoola (plays Othello)

Episode #3: A Transcendant Patriarchy - release date: 19 May

With Norah Lopez-Holden (plays Desdemona), Hayat Kamille (plays Bianca) and Floriana Dezou (Assistant Director)

Episode #4: The Secret History of the Moors - release date: 26 May

With Matthew Carr (Author of Blood and Faith: The Purging of Muslim Spain)

Episode #5: Cultural Impact of Othello - Today - release date: 2 June

With Tanya Muneera Williams (member of Poetic Pilgrimage) and Humera Khan (co-founder of An-Nisa Society, an organisation managed by women working for the welfare of Muslim families)

For information on all the events and to access the podcasts please use this link: http://www.ett.org.uk/whats-on/othello/additional-events

ENGLISH TOURING THEATRE

English Touring Theatre is one of the UK's most successful and influential touring companies, winning the UK Theatre Awards Best Touring Production in 2014, 2015 & 2016. The company works with leading artists to stage an eclectic mix of new and classic work for audiences throughout the UK and overseas; theatre that is thrilling, popular and engaged in the contemporary world. At the heart of everything ETT does is the passionately held belief that everyone, wherever they are in the country, deserves to have access to the very best work. In 2017 ETT will tour to 40 venues throughout the UK. This September the company will produce new versions of Sam Holcroft's Rules for Living and Conor McPherson's The Weir.

AMAL PROJECT

Amal provides opportunities for people in Britain, regardless of their faith or beliefs, to come together and explore the rich diversity of Muslim cultures and arts including storytelling, visual arts, theatre, poetry, music, dance and film.

Amal champions imagination and the values of compassion, conviviality and social justice.

It believes that culture and the arts broaden horizons and forge common ground within and between communities. Amal began its work in November 2016 as a Programming Fund making grants in support of Muslim cultural production over a pilot phase of around one year.

SHAKESPEARE AT THE TOBACCO FACTORY (stf)

Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory (stf) is an international touring ensemble based in Bristol, producing Shakespeare and other classic work. The Company was founded in 1999 by Andrew Hilton who has directed 37 of its 39 productions to date. Guest directors have included Jonathan Miller who directed Hamlet in 2008, Polina Kalinina who directed Romeo and Juliet in 2015 and Richard Twyman whose forthcoming production of Othello will be seen in 2017. Stf has produced 29 Shakespeares, 3 Chekhovs, the Molière/Tony Harrison The Misanthrope, Middleton & Rowley's The Changeling, Alan Monkhouse's The Conquering Hero, Sheridan's The School for Scandal, Tom Stoppard's modern classic, Arcadia, and the 2015 co-production with Tobacco Factory Theatres of Brian Friel's Living Quarters.

OTHELLO LISTINGS

Wilton's Music Hall
Graces Alley, Whitechapel, London E1 8JB

Box office: 020 7702 2789

www.wiltons.org.uk

@wiltonmusichall

Othello runs at Wilton's Music Hall from 16 May - 3 June

Performance times:

Monday - Saturday 7:30pm

Saturday matinees 2:30pm and Thursday 25 May matinee 2:00pm

Ticket prices:

Full price: £15 - £25

Concessions: £12.50 - £23

Thursday 25th Matinee schools deal: students £10 each, 1 free teacher ticket per 10 students; call the box office to book.

Photo credit: The Other Richard

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