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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 MAY 2022 5 THEATRE WHETHER it's in the form of an opera, a play, or a series of mon- ologues, most of us have come across Othello, the tragic tale of a man's intense jealousy and his descent into madness. While the play is named after the eponymous Moor, his standard-bearer Iago, who is the antagonist in the play, is equally important. In Teatru Manoel's production, which is abridged, adapted and directed by Ian Moore, well-re- spected actor Edward Carua- na Galizia will be taking on the meaty role of Iago. "For this pro- duction, Ian has whittled things down to the bare story," Carua- na Galizia says. "We have done away with fancy complicated sets and costumes and want the sto- ry to speak for itself. The whole production is very much charac- ter-driven." As characters go, Iago is one of the most memorable Shakespeare has written. He is the epitome of evil, and is responsible for the death of four people, whether di- rectly or indirectly. "I think that Iago is so feared by audiences be- cause of how well he manipulates the people around him," explains Caruana Galizia. "The vast major- ity of us exist and operate within a basic moral code, where there are plenty of lines we will not cross. In his case, however, Iago secretly goes about his plan to destroy everyone who trusts and loves him. He uses the good in people to bring about their own destruction in a most cynical way, which is unsettling to audiences." Yet, as despicable as Iago's ac- tions are, Caruana Galizia is forced to look at him as a nuanced character. "As an actor, it's taboo in many ways to be judgemental of your character, and finding points of sympathy is imperative, but you really need to dig deep when you are playing someone who is so devious and unkind," he admits. "You could say he's a good soldier and has clearly been reliable and fierce on the battle- field in the past. After all, he must have got his reputation of being honest, valiant, and brave from somewhere. The trouble is he us- es these qualities for sinister pur- poses. Most tellingly, his lack of empathy on the battlefield trans- lates into lack of empathy in life." In preparing for this role, Caru- ana Galizia dug very deep indeed and looked at Iago through the lens of psychosocial studies, a subject he studied at London's Birkbeck University. "One of the major themes in Othello is that of the 'outsider'. Iago's name is Spanish while the play is set in Italy, which indicates that he was probably an immigrant, and as such was probably poor as a child, living in a very unkind world," he explains. "Some people who are oppressed may be motivated to break away from their circum- stances, but some are pushed down a dark path, which I felt was fitting when it came to un- derstanding Iago. He has had to claw his way out of poverty and has navigated what was to him an incredibly harsh world. How he has turned out may say more about his environment than him- self." Although becoming Iago must have been emotionally taxing, Caruana Galizia thoroughly en- joyed being part of this produc- tion, which boasts an exception- al cast including British actor Shawn John as Othello, and Greta Agius, Alex Weenink, Kyle Borg, Kay Dimech, Stephen Oliver, Si- mone Ellul, Mikhail Basmadji- an, and Matthew Grech. "I have thoroughly enjoyed working with such a wonderful cast," Caruana Galizia shares. "I feel we are all pulling in the same direction and that we have a truly great show on our hands. I really can't wait for the public to see it!" Othello will take place on 13, 14 and 15 May 2022 at Teatru Ma- noel, Valletta, with a Public Dress Rehearsal on 12 May. Tickets can be purchased at booking.teatru- manoel.com.mt. For further infor- mation, visit www.teatrumanoel. mt. Bringing the ultimate villain to life Edward Caruana Galizia (right) with Shawn John and (below) in a scene with Simone Ellul