Othello New Vic Theatre, Basford

IF ANYBODY was in any doubt last night that Lenny Henry would not be able to pull off playing one of the greatest Shakespearean leads of all time, seeing him as he strode about the round's stage pouring forth soliloquies would have proved to them that his 6ft-plus frame was every inch the iconic Moor Othello.

His delivery was at times a little hasty, and his stance perhaps less graceful than that which one might have expected of a soldier who had risen so high among the ranks. Yet any such discrepancies were soon put to rest in favour of his subtle handling of the character's mood changes, from that of a calm and controlled superior to a deranged maniac, consumed with a jealousy and rage that would eventually be his undoing.

As Henry's character unravelled before the audience's very eyes, it did so with the backing of a hugely professional supporting cast.

Newcastle's own Conrad Nelson, who had also composed the live music for this Northern Broadsides production, embraced the most challenging role in this particular play – that of the villainous Iago, rarely off stage during the three-hour drama – as if he were his own evil twin brother.

He sniped, and crept, and scuttled around the stage, his hands and expressions telling as much about his cruel intentions as his snivelling voice.

Jessica Harris, meanwhile, had battled with her dyslexia to learn the lines for her role as Desdemona; you could not tell. Her performance was faultless, and both she and Maeve Larkin as Emilia avoided the tendency some professional actresses have to make their roles histrionic.

All performed on a bare stage with the minimum of props. Those lucky enough to have gained tickets for this sell-out run will be very glad they did.

Othello (sold out) runs at the New Vic Theatre in Basford until Saturday, May 2.

Tamzin Hindmarch