David Harewood returns to Othello as filmed West End production heads to streaming

A new filmed version of Othello is set to stream on Marquee TV from 1^st May, bringing a recent West End production – led by David Harewood and Toby Jones – to a wider audience.

The production marks a significant moment for Harewood, who reprises the role of Othello nearly 30 years after making history as the first Black actor to play the part at the National Theatre in 1997. This new performance, filmed live at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, sees him return to the character with a very different perspective.

Reflecting on stepping back into the role, Harewood said: “I was so young when I played it before, so I thought let me give it another crack… As an older man, I found that so much more painful,” pointing to a deeper connection with the play’s themes of love and loss.

Jones stars opposite him as Iago, bringing his own take to one of Shakespeare’s most complex antagonists. Speaking about the experience, Jones noted the richness of the text, saying: “Every single time we perform the play I hear something that I haven’t heard before… you’re surprised, delighted, and slightly shocked by the nuance of phrases.”

The cast also includes Caitlin Fitzgerald as Desdemona, Vinette Robinson as Emilia and Luke Treadaway as Cassio. Fitzgerald highlighted the play’s continued relevance, pointing to its “extraordinary” proto-feminist elements, while Robinson described Emilia’s speeches as “still relevant today”.

Directed by Tom Morris, the production combines a traditional staging with a contemporary lens on its themes of jealousy, betrayal and identity – elements that continue to resonate centuries after the play was written.

With theatre increasingly finding new life on streaming platforms, this filmed Othello offers audiences a chance to catch a major stage production beyond the West End.

 

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Images: Brinkhoff Moegenburg

Othello is released on Marquee TV on 1^st May 2026.