John Douglas Thompson On Returning To Othello

3 months ago

The play opens at the RSC this evening

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Around 16 years ago, John Douglas Thompson took to an Off-Broadway stage and delivered his first performance as Othello. It would earn him a Lucille Lortel Award, an Obie Award and a Drama League nomination. And, while it wasn’t his first performance – he made his Broadway debut opposite Denzel Washington in 2005, in fact – it signalled John’s breakout, and ushered in a superlative career.

Since then, John has garnered a reputation as a masterful classical actor, delivering breathtakingly compelling performances across stage and screen. And now back to Othello: launching tonight, John stars in the RSC’s production of Othello in Stratford-upon-Avon, opposite Juliet Rylance as Desdemona and Will Keen as Iago. We sat down with John to hear all about it.

Rehearsal for Othello (Johan Persson)

Interview: John Douglas Thompson

You are about to star as Othello at the RSC. What are you most looking forward to about the show?

The play remains a very personal and mysterious adventure for me. Each moment in time of my maturity and evolution, as well as the worlds, gives birth to new and interesting interpretations of the character and play. So in that sense, I can’t help but come to it differently as the play demands a kind of ‘new authenticity’ each time you climb it. Add to that a new group of actors and a distinct directorial and production concept, and that will invoke a new experience with Othello for me.

I don’t particularly concern myself with playing the role in a different country or at a different cultural moment, as these plays speak to the constancy of humanity in all of us. Our capacity for love, friendship, betrayal, jealousy, pleasure, hate, joy, contradiction etc, is not confined to a country or a cultural moment; they are constant and universal, beyond borders and culture. The world has indeed changed, but the human condition has not.

The last time I did Othello was about 16 years ago. Since then, I’ve matured, I’ve evolved, and my thoughts and perceptions about these plays and characters have also matured and evolved. It is the opportunity to explore the known unknown that is the exciting prospect of this new journey with Othello.

You played Othello off Broadway back in 2009 – how would you describe your interpretation of the character this time around?

As we are still in rehearsals, I don’t think I can describe my interpretation of the character at this point, but I can share with you the things that I love about Othello and what I am trying to connect to. I think the most interesting thing about Othello to me is his otherness. He is ‘other’ to Venetian society and culture. I do see race as a prism to get to the otherness, but Othello to me is more defined by his culture than by his race – his culture makes him the other.

Even now, in our modern day society, otherness comes in many forms, such as one’s race, religion, social status, gender, culture, financial status, education, etc. So the idea of otherness is universal. We’ve all experienced it on some level.

It is the politics of the other that brings me into close proximity with Othello, and where he finds himself at this moment in his life. Othello is of the mythic to me, like Beowulf or Alexander – a titan, almost too big for the world he finds himself in. His life experience has taught him to connect with the universal, to give him insight to the personal. He is of an epic and celestial nature. One who is now wanting to walk in the path towards love and begin a new chapter in his life.

What is it like approaching a character who has been portrayed so many times?

I tend to think it’s always new because your interpretation is based upon where you are in your life. I’m a big believer in kindness and generosity to yourself and others, and surrendering to Shakespeare’s will. I feel as long as I stay open, something new will happen. I trust that it will.

Juliet Rylance is your Desdemona – have you done any prep together yet?

It’s really interesting, because we’re both revisiting these characters almost two decades later. We’ve both changed as individuals, as people in the world, as actors, as storytellers. Juliet provides an anchor for me, and a stability, she grounds me. In this process, I am the ‘other’ as being the only American in this production. Juliet and I have a connection and fondness for this play. It’s interesting to see each other’s maturity with the roles and the new trajectory we bring to our love story. Everything is different, as it should be. To be honest with you, I don’t think I could do it without her.

Juliet Rylance and John Douglas Thompson in rehearsal for Othello (Johan Persson)

You’ve had an extensive theatre career, but this is your RSC debut – how does that feel?

It is actually quite wonderful. It’s been a dream of mine to work at the RSC from the moment I fell in love with Shakespeare. My roots are in this country as I was born in Bath, but left when I was two and a half years old. My family moved to Montreal, Canada and then to Rochester, New York in the United States. The odyssey that brought me to acting pointed me firmly in the direction of the classics and a strong desire to make it back across the pond to Shakespeare’s wellspring. So, in a sense, my dream has led me full circle to play Othello.

My experience with the RSC thus far has been amazingly challenging, beautiful, and dare I say, transformative. To be with this singular and most venerable organisation at this point in my career means the world to me. It’s almost overwhelming. I feel at home and cared for within the loving arms of this institution.

What has been your favourite show to work on in your career?

Othello would certainly have to be up there, as well as The Merchant of Venice, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone by August Wilson, Tamburlaine by Christopher Marlowe, and The Emperor Jones by Eugene O’Neil. In The Merchant of Venice (TFANA), I played Shylock two years ago in New York and Washington DC, and we will be remounting at The Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh in January 2025.

I also worked on Tamburlaine with the late great Michael Boyd, when he came to the States. It was a highlight to be in the room with him, and I felt we created a very memorable production.

What’s a play you’ve never done that you’d love to do?

I’ve been in King Lear several times playing other roles, but I would like at some point to tackle the role of King Lear, hopefully in my immediate future. There are some August Wilson plays that are also quite Shakespearean in scope, character and poetry that I want to tackle, too. And also some Eugene O’Neil, the third member of my triumvirate; would love to get my swing at Hickey in The Iceman Cometh.

Who inspires you?

Well, some of them have transitioned now and gone to a higher realm, but James Earl Jones is a big inspiration – his passing has certainly affected me as well as many others. What he meant for the stage as an actor and person was quite profound; an example to strive for. He also authored a book about his several journeys with Othello, which I am currently reading.

I’ve always liked Anthony Sher, God rest his soul, as well. I’ve been inspired by his work and his books. Simon Russel Beale and Mark Rylance, too. And of course Denzel Washington. All these individuals have done great things for the classical actors and have put Shakespeare out into the culture with beauty and grace.

What is your current cultural recommendation?

The TV show Industry on HBO. It will appease lots of different appetites for what people want to see in a television drama.

What is next for you?

I’ll be in Spike Lee’s latest movie which will come out in 2025. Also will be taping season 3 of The Gilded Age, and The Merchant of Venice in Edinburgh.