CST will stage remixed ‘Othello’ in London at Cultural Olympiad

Submitted by Nancy Malitz on Sep 28, 2011 – 11:51 am | 1,955 views

Creators of “Funk It Up About Nothin'” will tackle the Lion of Venice for a Shakespeare marathon in London.

Chicago Shakespeare Theatre has been invited by London’s Globe Theatre to join 37 international companies in presenting all of Shakespeare’s plays during London’s 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

The marathon event beginning on April 23, the Bard’s birthday, will see productions of all 37 plays in the Shakespeare canon in many different languages. Only two plays will be given in English, the Globe’s own production of “Henry V” and Chicago Shakespeare’s take on “Othello” titled “Othello: The Remix.”

Conceived in the style of CST’s award-winning “Funk It Up About Nothin’,” the new show is being devised by the same team, The Q Brothers in collaboration with CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton.

Languages and companies represented in the Shakespeare extravaganza will span six continents. Productions will include the National Theatre of China’s “Richard III,” Belarus Free Theatre’s “King Lear,” the Bangladeshi Dhaka Theatre’s “The Tempest,” the South African Isango Theatre’s Zulu presentation of “Venus and Adonis,” the National Theatre of Greece’s “Pericles” and the Kyoto (Japan) Chiten Theatre’s “Coriolanus.”

Performances of “Othello: The Remix” begin with the world premiere May 5.

Related links:

Tickets go on sale in October 2011 at www.shakespearesglobe.com/globe-to-globe.
Or just be there in spirit and play the home shuffler, which feels a lot like a Vegas slot machine, as you spin for language, play or date.

Photo caption and credit: Q Brothers, creators of “Othello: The Remix” for Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Below, CST’s promo for the Q Brothers’ “Funk it Up” production in early 2011.

Tags: Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Cultural Olympiad, Othello, Othello:The Remix, Q Brothers, Shakespeare

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