Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Experience a uniquely South African adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Othello” - performed in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans - at NYUAD’s The Red Theater on October 9 and 10 (7.30pm).
The classic tragedy tells the story of a great love destroyed by envy, distrust, jealousy, hatred; of people who cannot bear to be confronted with the supposedly different, with the stranger.
Acclaimed South African director Lara Foot, from Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre, brings this provocative decolonial adaptation to Abu Dhabi audiences, exploring Othello’s inner life from an African perspective - from the time of German colonialism to the time of the Herero uprising in German South West Africa, to present-day Namibia.
Foot searches for the historical traces of that deeply ingrained hatred and finds them in her story in the colonial wars of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Professor Shose Kessi, Dean of Humanities at the University of Cape Town, explains: “There are many aspects of Foot’s production that propose a decolonial reading of Shakespeare’s Othello. Perhaps one of the most sophisticated so far, the piece fits into an emerging body of work that seeks to not only disrupt the centrality of Shakespeare and western literature in contemporary spaces but also to resist Eurocentric readings of the colonial past.
“It highlights the role of theatre as both a political instrument to challenge colonial violence and a possible site for decolonial love.”
After each show, enjoy a Night Souk from 5-10pm outside The Arts Center featuring 40+ vendors offering artisanal goods, fashion, home décor, and more, a vibrant social atmosphere, and a celebration of creativity, culture, and community.
The NYUAD Night Souk is a much-loved campus tradition that brings together students, staff, and visitors in a lively marketplace. It supports local entrepreneurs and fosters community engagement through a dynamic blend of shopping, entertainment and cultural exchange.
