We sat down for an exclusive interview with Will Stanton who plays Cassio in Northern Stage, HOME Manchester and Citizens Theatre co-production, in association with Royal & Derngate Othello.
Will is a LAMDA-trained actor making his professional theatre debut as Cassio in Northern Stage’s production of Othello, directed by Anthony Almeida. While his recent work has focused on screen, including an upcoming Disney+ production, returning to Shakespeare has been both a rewarding challenge and a reminder of why Will first fell in love with acting. Originally from London and now based in Newcastle, Will enjoys exploring the outdoors, keeping active, and is passionate about storytelling in all its forms.
This show runs from 11 – 26 September (plus a UK tour) – Tickets here
Cassio is often seen as straightforward, but this production explores how everyone performs to belong — what did you discover about him through that lens?
There’s a temptation to make Cassio the straightforward “good guy” who simply gets swept up in the web of lies – but real life is never that simple. Human beings are complex, and it’s that complexity that makes them beautiful; even within the text, there’s so much more to Cassio than first meets the eye. The idea that everyone performs to belong, that we’re all just trying to fit in the best we can, feel very true to life. There’s something in the notion that people find peace surrounded by others rather than alone and seeing that through Cassio’s eyes gave me a real way in – not just to who he is, but to what belonging means for him.
You’re making your professional theatre debut in Shakespeare; has returning to his work reminded you why you first fell in love with acting?
Oh, for so many reasons. Shakespeare is such a widely loved and respected playwright, that he’s woven into your entire schooling from the basics of storytelling to the sheer musicality of language. My first ever school play, aged eleven, was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where I absolutely nailed the role of Fairy #2. Followed by Prospero in The Tempest, Sebastian in Twelfth Night, and now playing Cassio in Othello – at every memorable checkpoint of my life, Shakespeare and I have reconnected
The production relocates Othello to 1980s Britain — how does that setting shape your understanding of Cassio’s relationships with authority and status?
Placing us within the military, in a more recent period of British history, makes the concept of authority clear from the outset – you immediately understand the hierarchy, and the mentality that comes with it. Status feels more immediate: you’re not deciphering what was or wasn’t acceptable centuries ago but recognising how much of the way we still view status and division in society holds true today. For Cassio specifically, it was fascinating to explore how someone glides between their status in the wider world and their position within a military structure. How, no matter who you are at home, once you’re part of a regiment, respect flows from the top down.
Anthony Almeida describes jealousy as a symptom rather than the cause of Othello’s tragedy — did that perspective change how you see the play or Cassio’s role in it?
Jealousy is an interesting concept – it never comes from nowhere. Whether it’s comparison you impose on yourself, or something planted by a third party, there’s always a root it grows from. It’s an ugly feeling, but an honest one; it’s hard not to feel it at some point. What struck me with Cassio is that Othello isn’t the only one gripped by it – almost everyone in this play has their own moment of jealousy, and even entirely innocent actions, with no malicious intent, can still be the spark it erupts from. It’s made me think that, in this play as in life, so much heartbreak could be avoided if people simply communicated a little more honestly, a little sooner.
Having focused largely on screen work recently, what has returning to Shakespeare and the rehearsal room taught you that camera work can’t?
The camera rewards precision distilled into a single perfect edit, while the stage demands relentless stamina, consistency, and presence. In the rehearsal room, having vital weeks of preparation together aligns everyone with the story, the text and the relationships between each character. Particularly with Shakespeare, that mutual understanding becomes essential. Theatre demands that in a way screen work simply doesn’t. And I credit this massively to the cast and the crew involved on this production/interpretation of Othello.
You’re from London but now based in Newcastle — has that shift influenced how you think about belonging while working on a play so concerned with it?
It’s interesting, having come up from London to Newcastle, there’s a sense of wanting wherever you are to feel like home. I think that’s something I subconsciously do wherever I move, whether it’s from one side of a town to another or in this case, one side of the country to the other. You want to feel at ease. I think it’s something that happens without even really thinking about it; there’s a mental shift and stance where you decide, ‘This is where I live now, so I’m going to make it feel like home.’ In a way, that connects to the sense of belonging in the play – to find their place, get by, and create some kind of inner peace and security for themselves