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Ewan McGregor in 'Othello': A Heartthrob as Henchman

by Zoe Strimpel
Mon, 10 Dec 2007 at 3:56 PM

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Neither love nor money (well, maybe a lot of money) can get you into Michael Grandage's new "Othello" at the Donmar Warehouse. Nothing surprising about that, you say — this is London and people are finding it very difficult to get into anything these days. Try seeing "The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army" at the British Museum or "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" at the O2 Centre, or, for that matter, Led Zeppelin at the O2 tonight. Or Ian McKellen in "The Seagull" and "King Lear" at the New London Theatre.

But the pulling power of this "Othello" draws on something even the McKellen shows don't have — and which the Terracotta Army and Robert Plant certainly don't. That is, the heartthrob status of one of its stars: Iago is played by Ewan McGregor, last seen onstage here as Sky Masterson in "Guys and Dolls." But obviously Mr. McGregor as hunk isn't the only reason people are going — it WAS possible to get tickets for "Guys and Dolls" (also directed by Mr. Grandage). It's the Shakespeare element, too, which would be in keeping with the wonderfully highbrow pitch of London's most popular cultural offerings these days. (Last week I blogged about the totally-sold-out-on-a-Tuesday ballet by George Balanchine, "Jewels.")

Critics have been impressed, too. Though not, in general, by Mr. McGregor (though they've not been disappointed by him). Rather by Othello, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor (seen in "Dirty Pretty Things"), who gives a portrayal that one Sunday paper described as "the superlative Moor of Venice." And Kelly Reilly, last seen in "Mrs. Henderson Presents," has also wowed critics as a perfectly convincing child-bride Desdemona. The staging — particularly the lighting — has been praised as elegant and inventive.

Sadly, unless I plan on queuing for a minimum of five hours for return tickets on the day, I'm not sure I'll be able to describe the production firsthand.

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