False As Hell

Synopsis: Audio podcast. Fifth episode of a radio serialisation of Shakespeare’s Othello. Episode scripts were adapted and produced by Catherine Eaton and rendered into modern English verse by Mfoniso Udofia. The production was directed by Victor Malana Moag. Part of the ‘Play On Shakespeare’ project to create more contemporary and accessible versions of the texts for performance.

5. Iago manipulates reality, tricking Othello into believing that he’s seen proof of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness, when in truth Iago planted the fateful handkerchief in Cassio’s room and made it appear that Cassio’s delight in the prostitute Bianca’s love for him is really about Desdemona. Othello’s rage at Desdemona spills over in public as Lodovico arrives in Cypress. Later, Othello confronts his wife in their bedroom and refuses to believe that she is innocent despite her heartfelt pleas.
Series: Play on Podcasts: Othello
Language: English
Country: United States
Medium: Audio
Notes: Udofia’s adaptation, first performed in 2021, updates the language in various ways. Among the changes in her version see the the substitution of ‘moor’ throughout, replacing it with such words as ‘black,' ‘monkey’ and others.
Subjects: Drama; Shakespeare
Keywords: racial identity; radio drama; racism; racial stereotyping