Othello: relationships between performers and audience

Introduction to Audience-Performer Relationship

Shakespeare’s “Othello” is an example of ‘breaking the fourth wall,’ where performers establish a relationship with the audience through direct address or recognition of the audience’s presence.

Iago’s Soliloquies and Audience Interaction

By directly addressing the audience in soliloquies, Iago forms a complicit relationship with them, outlining his plans and intentions. This dialogue pulls the audience in, making them privy to Iago’s plots while the other characters remain oblivious.
Iago’s multifaceted character gives an opportunity to the performers to experiment with how they reveal his treacherous nature to the audience, and how they manipulate audience sympathy towards him.

Audience Response to Othello

As the protagonist, Othello elicits an emotional response from the audience, especially in his tragic downfall fuelled by jealousy. The audience is privy to his transformation from a noble individual to a jealous murderer, which elicits sympathy and, simultaneously, disappointment.
Performers can manipulate audience perception of Othello by altering the intensity and nature of his reactions to Iago’s lies, and by varying the transparency with which he reveals his thoughts and feelings.

Manipulation of Audience Through Pacing and Timing

Pacing and timing play a key role in the audience-performer relationship, for instance, when Iago manipulates Othello into believing Desdemona’s infidelity which is staged using calculated pauses and shifts in tone, leading the audience along the same emotional journey as Othello.

Audience’s Perception of Desdemona

Desdemona plays the role of the innocent victim, caught in the machinations of Iago. The audience is led to sympathise with her, adding an emotional layer to the relationship between them and the performer portraying Desdemona.

Creating Tension

The use of dramatic irony, where audience knows more than certain characters, especially regarding Iago’s plans, builds anxiety and tension. This feeling is heightened by the performances and the audience are made to feel part of the unfolding drama.

Impact of Staging Choices

The staging choices can significantly influence the audience-performer relationship. Whether it’s a traditional proscenium arch where the audience are spectators or an intimate theatre in the round setting where the characters are literally amongst the audience, performers can choose to engage with their audience in a wide variety of ways.