Mark Ebulue will star in the title role of Othello at the Lyric Hammersmith next year when Frantic Assembly’s production of Shakespeare’s brutal thriller arrives in London following its UK tour.
The actor, who has appeared at the Arcola Theatre in Phaedra’s Love and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Julius Caesar since graduating from drama school in 2011, will take on the titan role at the newly renovated Hammersmith theatre from 13 January to 7 February 2015.
Ebulue will be joined in the cast by Casualty star Steven Miller as Iago and stage regular Kirsty Oswald, who follows roles in the Hampstead Theatre’s The Judas Kiss and We Are Proud To Present… at the Bush Theatre to play Desdemona.
Acclaimed physical theatre company Frantic Assembly, whose many previous hits include Beautiful Burnout and Lovesong, will set Shakespeare’s tale of paranoia, jealousy, sex and murder during the 2001 race riots in Yorkshire.
Directed by Scott Graham, who collaborated with Steven Hoggett to create the unique movement in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, the production is described as taking “a scalpel to 21st century Britain, exposing prejudice, danger and fear”.
Also confirmed to appear in Othello are Leila Crerar and Richard James-Neale, who appeared in the company’s original 2008 production, Ryan Fletcher and Dritan Kastrati.