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English Literature/Theatre: “I Am Not What I Am” – Remixing, Rewiring, Rewriting Othello With Dr Ronan Hatfull From University of Warwick
8th December 2025 @ 15:45 - 16:30
What makes us return to the words of William Shakespeare again and again? In this workshop, we’ll explore that question through the lens of Othello, one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated and controversial plays.
Although Othello deals with serious subjects that still resonate, the play has been reworked by many artists seeking to make it accessible through comedy and popular culture.
This workshop invites you to discuss and compare such examples of Shakespearean adaptation from hip-hop remixes to sketch comedy. We’ll also profile the casting of a black actor as the villain Iago in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2015 production, analysing how the play’s opening scene was staged.
You’ll have the chance to produce your own mini-Othellos in a freewriting exercise, where you’ll inhabit a character from the play and respond to various prompts designed to help you bring them to life for new audiences.
Lecturer Profile: Dr Ronan Hatfull
Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.
As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.
Suitable for: Aged 16+ pre-university students studying, or with a possible interest in studying, English Literature, Theatre and related disciplines. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.
Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions about studying at university level.
The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the speaker via typed comments and questions and/or via a microphone. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.
Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below: