The body, music and, above all, circus techniques are the elements with which a Shakespeare classic returns to the stage, seen, of course, through the eyes of its female protagonist. Othello has never before been performed in this way.
You no doubt remember the story: a man with a woman who loves him listening to the malicious counsel of a false friend who ends up delivered to extreme distrust with fatal consequences. Shakespeare speaks to us of jealousy in a play you’ll have likely seen in the theatre or cinema, but which you are unlikely to have seen performed in the language of circus. But Alba Sarraute does just that, in a production which she names after the female protagonist and with a troupe of great artists. An anonymous choir and acrobats introduce us to the story with their human towers. Here, Desdemona is the Sun and Othello the Moon. And both use their hand-to-hand and other techniques, to tell us how, despite their love for each other, they were unable to meet because of the fear instigated by Iago who plots evil plans from a balancing ladder. A tale of love told through acrobatics, and the famous episode of the handkerchief stolen from Desdemona narrated through magic tricks are just some of the show’s offerings. Can you imagine a more powerful way of expressing jealousy than with a knife-throwing act? This is pure Shakespeare, yes, but, at the same time, it is also great circus. The teeterboard, the Cyr wheel, clown techniques and so on. These are all used by Alba Sarraute and her accomplices in a production that may be energetic and even explosive but which is also pure poetry and, what is more, has live music performed by a saxophonist and cellist who interpret the play’s characters, while creating a live soundtrack to the show.
This is a new demonstration of the multidisciplinary talent of Alba Sarraute, a clown, actress, musician and acrobat. She was trained at the Aula de Teatre de Mataró, at the Sala Beckett’s workshop, at the Escola de Circ Rogelio Rivel and at the Paris Académie Fratellini of contemporary circus. She has performed street theatre, worked with theatre companies, such as Animalario (Capitalismo, hazles reír, 2013), and circus companies, such as Hopla Circus; she has staged her own shows (with Mirando a Yukali still fresh in our memory) and collaborated with Clowns without Borders. You may remember her playing Míriam, the neighbour of the extremely Circus Klezmer created at the Circ d’Hivern de l’Ateneu 9 Barris, performing in the musical Llits with Albert Pla and Lídia Pujol, or presenting shows at the Mercè Street Arts Festival during the Barcelona Mercè festivities. She has also directed companies such as Animal Religion, PSiRC, Marcel et ses Drôles de Femmes and Rojo estándar, to name but a few.
A 2020 Barcelona Grec Festival and Camaleònica Produccions co-production.
In collaboration with Argentona City Council, Mataró City Council and Cronopis Espai De Circ de Mataró.
Suitable for people over the age of 12
Author: Based on William Shakespeare's Othello Adapted and directed by: Alba Sarraute Staging: Laia Sanmartín Performed by: Alba Sarraute, Anna Pascual, Berta Pascual, Martí Soler, Tomeu Amer, Laura Martí, Jordi Claret, Noè Escolar, Manel Rosés Music composed by: Furmi Gómez, Jordi Claret, Jorge Sarraute, Laura Martí Music director: Jordi Claret Music performed by: Furmi Gómez, Jordi Claret, Laura Martí, Anna Pascual, Martí Soler and Alba Sarraute Scenography: Montse Pons and Alba Sarraute Movement: Berta Pascual Costumes: Alba Sarraute Lighting design: Ton Mentruit, Laia Sanmartín, Joaquim Aragó, Alba Sarraute Sound design / sound concept: Ton Mentruit Video design: Caterina Angeloni, El Gato Productions Produced by: Camaleònica d’Espectacles Photography: El Gato Productions
