The final production in the Belgrade Theatre’s programme of work for Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 will be the world première of Nothello, written and devised by Mojisola Adebayo, William Shakespeare and Justine Themen.
Nothello is “an absurdist, anarchic, insightful and witty” play which looks at Shakespeare’s Othello from the perspective of an unborn child, exploring what it means to be of mixed heritage.
Nothello is inspired by interviews with mixed heritage couples and individuals who live locally and features a mixed heritage community chorus from across the city.
The Belgrade is looking for community members to help devise and take part in Nothello. The theatre is searching for a mixed race youth group to assist the director in devising the piece, a mixed race chorus to write and perform songs and interracial couples who will dance in the show.
Themen, outgoing deputy artistic director of the Belgrade and co-artistic director for its City of Culture 2021 programme, has been appointed one of the first leadership associates at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
She said, “the mixed heritage population is the fastest-growing ethnic group in the UK and interracial relationships are on the rise. I’m excited that in the final show of our City of Culture year we can challenge the impossibility of love across the divide.
“Instead, moving forward from a year of extraordinary and diverse storytelling, we can celebrate with our city and our audiences how we can be enriched by difference rather than challenged by it.”
Nothello will run at the Belgrade from Saturday 7 until Saturday 21 May.