For all the plaudits accorded the National Theatre's recent production of Shakespeare's Othello, it was essentially a two-man act-off.
Rory Kinnear's sneering Iago and Adrian Lester's tormented Othello were undeniably powerful performances but the women of the piece were given little space to breathe, leading to a limp finale.
Rebekah Fortune's new film noir-inspired staging attempts to redress the balance, adding a female perspective and restoring the tragedy to what has become a pantomime piece.
Gillian Saker shines as the gentle but steadfast Desdemona, who looks on resignedly at the macho machinations as the boys, robbed of their war, play at life.
Iago's put-upon wife Emilia, as played by Gemma Stroyan, is a more world-weary figure, able to tolerate her villainous husband's barbs and mischievousness as schoolyard tomfoolery until it is tragically too late.
There's still fun to be had watching Iago, ably played by Peter Lloyd as a sharp-suited spiv, plot Othello's demise in revenge for being overlooked for promotion.
Some of the comic timing is off, but Max Wilson is hugely watchable as the simpering Roderigo, wound round Iago's finger even more tightly than the titular anti-hero.
As for the film noir setting, it all feels a bit tacked on and gimmicky. Sure, the play shares many of the genre's motifs of suspicion and shady anti-heroes but other than the addition of fedoras and trench coats it doesn't add a lot to our understanding.
That's not to detract from what is a lively and affecting performance, one which realises Orangutan Productions' ambition to awaken younger audiences to Shakespeare's genius but has plenty to offer the rest of us.
* Othello is at Hammersmith's Riverside Studios until February 18. For tickets, visit www.riversidestudios.co.uk or call the box office on 020 8237 1111 (school workshops on Tuesdays and Thursdays must be booked by phone).
