EXCLUSIVE: David Harewood‘s (Homeland) Othello reprise on the West End will launch on arts-focused international streamer Marquee TV next month.
The landmark production at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London, which began late last year, saw Harewood reprise his groundbreaking performance as Othello. It also stars Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs the Post Office), Caitlin Fitzgerald (Succession) and Luke Treadaway (A Street Cat Named Bob). It will debut on Marquee TV on May 1 in the U.S., UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Korea.
Harewood became the first Black actor to play Othello at the National Theatre, London, nearly 30 years ago in 1997, and his historic reprise was among the biggest stories in theater last year. Even though Shakespeare’s play was written for a Black lead, for centuries directors had cast white performers in blackface. “I was trying to de-blackface the whole character,” said Harewood.
In the Theatre Royal Haymarket performance, Jones stars as Iago, Fitzgerald as Amelia in her West End debut and Treadaway as Cassio. Tom Morris is the direct and music comes from PJ Harvey.
Cecilia Bacon, VP of Content & Engagement at Marquee TV, said: “This is a major moment for bringing world-class theater to streaming audiences at scale. David Harewood’s return to Othello is both historically significant and artistically powerful, and we’re proud to introduce this production to U.S. viewers as part of our growing slate.”
Marquee TV, which has been described as a ‘Netflix for the arts,’ negotiated the deal with Trafalgar Releasing, which was represented in negotiations by Charlie Hinshelwood. The Othello deal is being framed as part of a broader strategy to bring high-end theatrical performances to global streaming.
Edward Humphrey, CEO of Marquee TV, added: “We’re seeing strong momentum in our global subscriber growth as audiences increasingly seek high-quality cultural content on demand. Expanding our premium theatre offering with landmark productions like Othello is a key part of our strategy to scale the business internationally and deepen engagement with both new and existing viewers.”
