We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Othello in Oman: A.hmad al-Izkī's Fusion of Shakespeare and Classical Arab Epic.
- Authors
Hennessey, Katherine
- Abstract
A recent work of theatre from Oman, Aḥmad al-Izkī's al-Layla al-Ḥālika (The Dark Night, 2010), weaves together themes and characters from Shakespeare's Othello and the pre-Islamic epic 'Antara Ibn Shaddād, imagining a series of encounters which ultimately allow the protagonists to escape the tragic ending of Shakespeare's play. This article argues that this juxtaposition performs a clever and well-placed intervention in ongoing socio-political debates on the Arabian Peninsula surrounding issues of identity, citizenship and political participation, and that the play argues for inclusivity and tolerance in the face of deep-seated racism and rising sectarianism. Furthermore, while al-Izkī's script provides a happy ending, the 2010 production directed by 'Abd al-Ghafūr al-Balūshī suggested a darker warning against the continuing threat of political, ethnic and sectarian divisions across the Gulf, a warning that subsequent events have borne out.
- Subjects
OTHELLO (Play : Shakespeare); THEATER production &; direction; HEROIC drama; ARABIC drama; 'ANTARAH ibn Shaddad, fl. 6th century; GROUP identity in the performing arts; CITIZENSHIP; POLITICAL participation
- Publication
Critical Survey, 2016, Vol 28, Issue 3, p47
- ISSN
0011-1570
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3167/cs.2016.280304