Othello (1825-present)

Today's post looks at Black actors who have performed the role of Othello from Ira Aldridge in the 1820s to David Harewood in 2025.

We begin with African American actor Ira Aldridge appearing as Othello in Whitechapel London in 1825, a role he performed many times over the years to great acclaim all over Britain and Europe.

In 1930, another African American actor, Paul Robeson, played Othello at the Savoy Theatre in London. The first Black actor recorded in the role since Ira Aldridge, Robseon was a star performer renowned for his singing as well as his acting. He was also a stalwart activist for civil rights. Robeson had already played the role in the USA which is documented in this exhibition from Harvard University

In 1950, African American Actor Gordon Heath played Othello in a touring production of the play directed by theatre critic Kenneth Tynan. Pauline Henriques, a Jamaican actress who trained at the London Academy of Dramatic Art, took the role of Emilia.

In 1989 Hugh Quarshie and Sue Dunderdale directed a production of Othello at Greenwich Theatre with Black actors in the roles of Othello and Iago and Emilia. Clarke Peters was Othello, Paul Barber was Iago and Emilia was played by Doña Croll. Quarshie later went on to play the role of Othello himself for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

In 1997 David Harewood was the first Black actor to play Othello at the National Theatre. In 2025 it was announced he would play the role again in the West End opposite Toby Jones as Iago.

In 2009 Lenny Henry took on the role of Othello for the theatre company Northern Broadsides and was widely acclaimed in the role. You can read the reviews here

Resources

Warwick University hosts the British Black and Asian Shakespeare database recording all known appearances by Black and Asian actors in Shakespeare's plays in Britain. You can trace the Black stage history of Othello through the database