Relaxed Performance – Sensory Guide
Tuesday 9 April at 7:00pm
The Carne Studio Theatre, LAMDA
The running time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes including an interval.
Content warnings:
Contains use of racist language, reference to racism, adultery, domestic violence, murder and death. There is use of prop weapons throughout - realistic hunting knives used in multiple fight scenes (stabbing and death), but no use of fake blood. There is also an intense scene where we see a character suffocated with a pillow and then strangled.
Relaxed Performances at LAMDA
• You are welcome to come and go from the theatre as you need
• There is a break-out room available, the Rittner Room
• House lighting is on low throughout, never going to full black-out
• Loud noises are reduced in sound level
• No strobe lighting is used
• You are welcome to react to the show however you may need
• At the end of this document is a show synopsis/sensory guide
Here is a guide to sensory information symbols in this document:
Indicates potentially loud or sudden noises
Indicates bright or sudden lighting changes
Indicates a sad or potentially distressing scene
Indicates fighting, or use of guns/weapons
Arriving at LAMDA
When you arrive at LAMDA, the box office is to your right. You should pick up your ticket here, using your name.
Toilets are located right next to box office.
LAMDA staff will be wearing LAMDA branded T-Shirts or lanyards. If you need any assistance whilst in the building, please ask them.
This is the Theatre Foyer. You may be asked to wait here until the house is open. You will be shown how to get to the Carne Studio Theatre by an usher.
This performance will take place in the Carne Studio Theatre.
This is the entrance.
When you enter the theatre, an Usher will take your ticket from you. You are welcome to sit where you like.
You can come and go from the space wheneveryou like. The house lights will stay on low throughout the show.
If you aren’t sure at any point during your visit where to go, please ask an usher.
There is a break-out space called ‘The Rittner Room’ which you are welcome to use at any point during the performance. It can be accessed via the stairs or lift in the main entrance foyer.
Before the show begins, the actors will introduce themselves and the characters they are playing.
The lights in the theatre will dim and she show will start. You can come and go as you need through the doors you entered by.
At the end of the show the actors will come on and bow. You are welcome to clap at this point if you would like.
Othello Company Headshots
Below is a sensory guide for the performance that shows potential distressing actions in the play, split up by scenes
During most scene changes throughout the play, there is tense and loud music. All fighting scenes in this play have been choreographed with a skilled Fight Director so that the actors do not hurt each other. Sometimes the actors will enter the stage from behind the audience, which may startle you.
Prologue
The prologue starts with loud music. There are actors under a white sheet who are lying still to foreshadow the end of the play where some of the characters have died.
ACT 1
Scene 1
Iago and Roderigo are shouting loudly to get Brabantio’s attention.
Scene 2
Brabantio and Roderigo enter the scene to join Othello, Iago and Cassio where we find out Othello has married Brabantio’s daughter. All are shouting and everyone draws a knife to fight, except Othello.
Scene 3
Brabantio speaks cruelly of Othello and accuses him of stealing his daughter away in an unjust manner. Brabantio dismisses Desdemona as his daughter because she is with Othello.
Roderigo is upset that Desdemona is with Othello. There is tense music that underscores Iago talking with Roderigo. Iago says how much he hates Othello and starts to hatch a plan to see his undoing.
ACT 2
Scene 1
There is a loud noise of a ship as Cassio enters. All on stage cheer loudly as Othello announces “the Turks are drown’d ”
As Iago continues to plot against Othello, there is tense music underneath his speech.
Scene 2
The lights flash during the scene change. Cassio is drunk and falls off the back of the platform - this has been rehearsed so he is not hurt. Cassio goes offstage and then runs back in trying to beat up Roderigo. He slices Montano across the stomach with a knife and he is wounded. All on stage involved in the brawl are shouting. Cassio is restrained.
ACT 3
Scene 1
No distressing action
Scene 2
No distressing action.
Scene 3
Othello is aggressive towards Desdemona and throws her handkerchief to the ground.
Othello is angry and shouts further, with thunder in the background.
Othello grabs Iago by the hair, shouts at him and throws him to the ground. He then stamps on him, causing Iago to be in pain.
Othello tells Iago that Cassio must die.
There is a loud noise of thunder and then a blackout.
INTERVAL
ACT 3
Scene 4
Othello shouts in Desdemona’s face as he leaves the scene, as he doesn’t believe her about the handkerchief which she isn’t talking to him about.
ACT 4
Scene 1
In the scene change there is a near blackout and loud machinery noises.
Othello falls into an epileptic fit when hearing from. Iago about Desdemona and Cassio.
Bianca is upset and angry and shouts at Cassio as she throws the handkerchief back to him.
Othello shouts as he enters wondering how to kill Cassio
Iago and Othello discuss the violence acts and murdering of Desdemona.
Scene 1 (continued)
Othello calls Desdemona a ‘devil’ and slaps her.
Scene 2
In the scene change there is a near blackout and loud machinery noises.
This scene has a lot of tension between Othello and Desdemona - he calls her a ‘whore’
Roderigo enters being angry and shouting at Iago. Loud thunder as the scene ends.
Scene 3
Tense music.
ACT 5
Scene 1
Iago gives Roderigo a knife.
There is a fight - Roderigo advances to stab Cassio, but Cassio stabs Roderigo. Iago runs across the stage and slices Cassio’s leg.
There is thundering music underneath the scene. Iago stabs Roderigo in the neck which kills him.
Scene 2
This scene is very distressing.
There is thunder throughout the scene.
The scene begins with Othello talking to Desdemona about killing her.
He then grabs her and she screams loudly.
He strangles her and holds her down on the bed, and then holds a pillow over her face so that she cannot breathe
This happens twice
She dies after calling out to Emilia.
Scene 2
Othello calls Desdemona more derogatory names. Othello draws his knife and points it at Emilia’s chest to kill her, and she shouts for help
Montano, Gratiano and Iago enter - it is very loud as they are all shouting at each other
Iago gets a knife out to kill Emilia and he is held back by Grantiano.
Iago breaks away and runs at Emilia, stabbing her in the stomach, and exits - she dies next to Desdemona.
Othello slashes at Iago with his knife as Iago is brought back in as a prisoner.
Othello at the end of his speech quickly slashes his own neck with his knife, and falls next to Desdemona and dies.
END OF SHOW
(continued)
