We sat down with Jasmin Hinds, performer in Othello, playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Tickets here.
You’re stepping into Julia in Othello at the Theatre Royal Haymarket—what was your very first emotional reaction when you read this version of the character? Did you recognise her immediately, or did she take time to reveal herself?
All of our characters took time to reveal themselves on this one, as our director Tom Morris works in a very improvisatory, exploratory way. Nothing is set in stone in the early days of rehearsal and we had free reign to create as we saw fit.
I’m part of a fabulous ensemble cast on this and we’re still now finding, halfway through the run, more and more details to add to our characters and relationships. I always think it takes the entire run of a show to create a fully realised version of a character anyway – and even then there’s always more to explore.
One joy of creating characters for me is getting to explore parts of myself that don’t always get a chance to shine in the real world. The Julia I’ve ended up creating is very confident, mischievous and free. Exploring these traits within the restrictive, oppressive world of Othello has been surprisingly liberating.
Last year you were immersed in the brutal, shadow-heavy world of Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. How different does the weight of Julia feel compared to that experience: psychologically, physically, and emotionally?
Macbeth and Othello are two stories that focus on power couples at the top of their game, living their lives amongst the ruling classes of society. They’re both stories that then swiftly descend into brutality, violence and bloody tragedy.
So, there have actually been heaps of crossover between the two experiences story-wise. The main difference on Othello has been the particular exploration of misogyny we’ve brought into sharp focus in this production. Misogyny and gender imbalance are present in every Shakespeare play, but in Othello more than most perhaps.
To play such a feminine character in this highly stylised toxically masculine world of power and brutality has been ever-present. The themes of this play are so alive in our real, day-to-day world; it’s impossible to leave them behind once the curtain comes down. I think that’s what’s made the show so impactful night after night.
Julia is often read as a quieter presence within the storm of Othello. How have you approached giving her power, agency, and inner life without overpowering the play’s explosive events?
Othello’s first couple of Acts take place in public spaces. We start off on a Venetian street, move to a government office, down to a Cypriot seaport – then end up down the pub!
It was really important to us that we populate these public scenes with as much life as possible. As one of the few female characters in the story, Julia’s presence and interactions in these early scenes invite the audience to examine the gender dynamics of this world.
The devastatingly tragic later scenes of the play all take place in more private spaces. The play gets more and more claustrophobic as it goes on, and it’s the freedom and fullness of those earlier scenes that allow the claustrophobia to have maximum impact.
This production places the audience in very close emotional proximity to the characters. Has that intimacy changed how vulnerable you allow Julia to be night after night?
Our incredible designer Ti Green has created a very open stage for our characters to fill. I think that’s where the emotional proximity comes from; there’s nowhere for anyone to hide, really.
So in that sense, and given where the story ends up dramatically, there’s no option other than to play with levels of vulnerability night after night. We’re well into the run of the show now, so we’ve got into a nice groove with the rhythm of it all, but details are always changing.
We’ve been working with the amazing dramatherapist Samantha Adams on this show, who has been training us all in “emotional containment”. This essentially means feeling secure enough within yourself to give as much vulnerability to the story as required every night.
It also, crucially, means leaving the story on stage where it belongs – rather than taking it home with us. Shedding the tragedy and pain of Othello at the end of each show, in order to switch off and head back into the real world, has been a really important skill to prioritise on this one.
You’ve now explored two Shakespeare worlds back-to-back that deal heavily in ambition, manipulation, loyalty, and betrayal. Has playing these women shifted how you personally view trust and power?
I love Shakespeare so much because these stories are so, so timeless and continue to speak to our world. The language may have changed over the years, but the examination of humanity remains the same. That’s really interesting to me.
We talked a lot in rehearsals about male insecurity leading to violence against women. Othello feels insecure, Iago manipulates those insecurities, and Desdemona pays the price with her life.
Our power structures are built on a deep distrust of women, that’s evident from any statistic that comes out of any doctor’s office or court of law. Politically, professionally and domestically – women are often silenced one way or another.
Shakespeare hits the nail right on the head when it comes to making the political personal in Othello. His plays often seem so grandiose when taken at face value, but once you scratch underneath the surface, they are all incredibly personal and specific.
When audiences leave this production of Othello, what do you most hope they carry with them about Julia—not just what happens to her, but who she truly is?
Ultimately, I hope audiences leave recognising the world they’ve just witnessed. These characters are real people, these relationships exist, these circumstances often do play out in the real world.
Julia is given a specific role to play and a contained glass box to play it in. She’s a free spirit trying to make her way within a prescriptive, restrictive system. There are only a few avenues open to her, really, and only a few role models for her to follow in the footsteps of. There’s something melancholy about her in this respect.
But there’s also a hope, a freedom and a joy about her too. In this regard, she’s tonic to a story so full of female tragedy and pain. I’m loving playing her, and I have six more weeks in her company until it’s time to let her go.
Jasmin Hinds is represented by BBA Management