Meet the Cast of Stafford Festival Shakespeare 2016: Desdemona

Our final meet the cast interview is with Madeleine Leslay, who will be playing the role of Desdemona in this year’s production of Othello.  Madeleine has previously performed as part of a UK Shakespeare tour, which included the Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing and Twelfth Night.

 

What made you want to get involved with the Stafford Festival Shakespeare for the first time?

Not only is Othello just the most amazing play, Stafford is a beautiful place, particularly around Stafford Castle. It is a great opportunity to perform one of Shakespeare’s greatest works in a fantastic location.

The Stafford Festival Shakespeare also came highly recommended by friends of mine - Jen Greenwood, who played Hermia in a Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Joshua Manning who played Oliver in As You Like It.

How do you feel about being part of one of the largest outdoor Shakespeare events in Europe?

I am beyond excited! It’s a fantastic opportunity, particularly as the world commemorates the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death this year.

 

The Stafford Castle is not your typical setting, have you performed in any outside or in other unusual settings before?

I have recently performed in an outdoor UK Shakespeare tour, in which I performed slap bang in the middle of a field! This tour used minimal sets, so Othello will be a different scale. The Stafford Castle will be the most picturesque place I have acted in.

 

Could you tell us a bit more about Desdemona, what do you think she brings to the play?

Desdemona is a young, happy teenage girl and everything is exciting and new for her. She has had a lovely upbringing and a good education, which perhaps makes her a little naive. My character is also falls heavily in love with Othello, and secretly marries him! I hope that her character will bring a breath of fresh air to the play, which in turn actually makes it all the more tragic when things start to turn against her.

             

What is it your favourite thing about Othello as a play?

My favourite thing about Othello is the language, because it’s so rich, intense and amazing to perform.

I also think that the themes and issues running through the play, for example jealousy and abuse, are still issues that we’re facing and tackling today.

 

What is your personal highlight of the production and setting?

My highlight is definitely the music.  A group of very talented musicians bring the music is to life, so it’s a pleasure to listen to. I am a huge fan of the music of the 1950s, so it is perfect for me!

What do you think will be the highlight for the audience this year?

The set is phenomenal, and a real feast for the eyes.  I also think those who haven’t seen Othello before and don’t know what to expect are in for a treat as Othello is a brilliant, gripping story.

Desdemona is a young girl of high birth who becomes enthralled by stories of Othello’s childhood. She secretly marries and elopes with Othello but their marriage is much to the dismay of her father. Desdemona is a delicate, sweet and virtuous character.

Othello will run from June 23 until July 9 at the Stafford Castle, tickets are available here, or by calling 01785 619080.

Meet the Cast of Stafford Festival Shakespeare 2016: Iago

The latest meet the cast interview is with Niall Costigan who will be playing the role of Iago, one of Shakespeare’s most sinister villains. Niall has previously performed in several Shakespeare productions including Macbeth at the Liverpool Everyman, Much Ado About Nothing for page2stage.

 

What made you want to get involved with the performance of Othello at Stafford Festival Shakespeare?

Othello is a fantastic play, and Iago is a great part to sink your teeth into. The director, Clare Prenton, has amazing ideas about the production so I was honoured to be asked to get involved.

The Stafford Festival Shakespeare is now one of the largest Shakespeare events in Europe, are you excited about being involved?

I can’t wait. It’s a huge scale performance, the perfect setting for one of Shakespeare’s most ambitious and dramatic works. The story traverses two countries and takes the audience through an array of backdrops.

Have you performed in any outdoor productions before?

I grew up performing in the biggest street festival, the Aurillac Street Theatre Festival in France. I have also performed Shakespeare in the open air not far away at Trentham Gardens. However, this will be my largest scale outdoor performance yet.

Could you tell us about what Iago brings to the play?

Iago is the ringmaster of the Othello story, he is brilliantly fascinating and guides you through the play explaining exactly what he will do and then doing it. In essence, what he brings is that he makes the play happen, manipulating the entire production. He is the second largest part Shakespeare created, so you will spend a long time listening to my character talk!

What is it that you most like about the play Othello?

Honestly, I don’t know yet! Every scene we rehearse becomes my new favourite. It just makes you realise why Othello has remained as popular as it is for over 400 years, it reveals so much about humanity and truly depicts the human condition. I think every audience member will discover a part of the play that they can relate to.

What is your highlight of this year’s Othello production and setting?

The best thing for me has to be getting to work with such a fantastic team, who are all deeply passionate about the work we’re doing. I’m really looking forward to that first performance and getting to step onto the stage with them.

What do you think will be the highlight for the audience this year?

I think the audience will enjoy how different this Othello production is from performances they may have seen before. The production team have really opened the play up, and there is plenty for the audience to feast their eyes and ears on.

Iago is the villain in Othello. He betrays the trust of Othello despite having a reputation for being honest and honourable and he controls the other characters in the play through manipulation and deceit.

Othello will run from June 23 until July 9, tickets are available here, or by calling 01785 619080.

 

Meet the Cast of Stafford Festival Shakespeare 2016: Othello

Our meet the cast interview today is with Oliver Wilson, who is playing Othello. This is his first year at the Stafford Festival Shakespeare. Oliver has a love of Shakespeare, which sparked from his time at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) performing Seven Ages of Poetry.

 

 

This is your first year being involved in Stafford Festival Shakespeare.  What made you want to get involved with the performance?

The most interesting thing for me is the fact that it is an open air setting. I’ve never had the opportunity to be involved in an open air production before, and I have heard great things from the actors who have been involved in previous years.

How do you feel about being part of one of the largest open air Shakespeare events in Europe?

It’s certainly going to be a memorable performance for me! I’ve been passionate about Shakespeare for a long time, so being part of such a large Shakespeare festival as we commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death is a real privilege.

The Stafford Castle is not your typical setting, have you performed in any other unusual settings before?

I have done scenes and projects with a company called 1623 in Derby, which puts on Shakespeare performances in unconventional settings, but all my previous full scale productions have been in theatres.

Could you tell us a bit more about Othello, and what he brings to the play?

Othello is a successful leader and a warrior who is at ease in any environment - be it with soldiers, diplomats or dukes. He is a strong moral character with a good sense of right and wrong. The really interesting thing about him is how he is can be really hard when he needs to be, but his character softens a little as he falls in love with Desdemona.

What is it that you most like about Othello as a play?

Othello probably has the most twists the turns of any Shakespeare play, and it’s impossible not to get caught up in the drama!

 

What is your highlight of this year’s Othello production and setting?

I think the setting is amazing, probably the most impressive I have worked on to date. The audience will also be completely charmed and drawn in by both Othello and Iago – and end up despising them in equal measure!

What do you think will be the highlight for the audience this year?

This year we’re taking on a tragedy, which is a step away from the lighter plays and comedies of previous Stafford Festival Shakespeare productions. It’s a bigger challenge, and I am looking forward to shaking things up! 

The open air production fits particularly well with the nature of Othello, where you’re outside with the elements and it gets darker as the play gets darker. I think the audience will identify well with the drama and grit.
 

Othello is a Venetian Moorish prince who is appointed as a general in the army. After marrying Desdemona in secret, he is tricked by his officer Iago into believing Desdemona is having an affair.

You have until July 9 to see Othello, tickets are available here, or by calling 01785 619080.