Iqbal Khan’s production of Othello (2015) breaks with tradition in casting both Othello and Iago as black men - in what way does this shift the emphasis of the play?

Often dubbed a 'race play', Shakespeare's 'Othello' usually pits the jealousy of a white man against the success of a Moor, illustrating the destructive consequences of racial intollerance. Khan's casting decision relieves the play of the often excessive racial baggage that sometimes masks the complexity of the human relations in the play, putting Iago and Othello on an equal footing as outsiders in a society whose attitudes are estranging and othering.

Thanks to Khan's production, audiences are allowed to explore, in much greater depth than usual, the homoerotic desire Iago harbours for Othello, and to truly fear the power of his jealousy, which is stripped of the skin-deep reading we so often fall victim to. In short, by removing one element from the play, the others are empowered and a richer viewing experience produced.