The Uncensored Critic Podcast

Hello guys and welcome back to Shakespeare Saturday! 
Hosted by myself and Sarah Spring 🎭

Today we look at not only one of our most loved Shakespeare texts, but one of our favourite plays of all time, Othello. 

Set against a backdrop of a conflict in Cyprus, Iago fuelled with anger that Michael Cassio has become the Moor’s lieutenant and assumption that Othello has slept with his wife abroad, sets out to destroy his life and marriage in a cruel and jealous plot. 

Through his talents of deception he manipulates Othello into thinking Desdemona has been unfaithful to him with Cassio. His intelligent yet evil scheme causes havoc and stirs the base in Cyprus into disarray. 

The play is a masterful, poignant and beautiful insight into how jealousy can corrupt the mind, the games of a narcissist and how believing opinion to be fact, can cause more damage than you think. 

Special mention to the outstanding 2013 production of Othello at the National Theatre starring Adrian Lester as Othello, Rory Kinnear as Iago, Jonathan Bailey as Cassio and Olivia Vinall as Desdemona.
Directed by Nicholas Hytner. 

Production is available to watch on National Theatre at Home. 

Stay tuned for more geek out sessions of Shakespeare Saturday!

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @shakespearemadeclear

Oliver Gower
Spotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261
Instagram: @ollietheuncensoredcritic
For enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.com

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Track Name. Early Morning

Grace trained at East 15 Acting School and has been a Boris Karloff Trainee Assistant Director at the Young Vic, a Catalyst Director at the North Wall, and participated in TalentLAB at Théâtre National du Luxembourg.

She is a Theatre Director and Community Artist from East London and her work is rooted in collaboration, bold storytelling, and amplifying voices. 

She has worked with theatres and communities across the UK. Previously, Grace was the Resident Assistant Director at the Donmar Warehouse. 

Theatre includes: as director: Holy Show, UK tour; Weeping Woman at Theatre503; Wild Actually at Islington Pleasance; after birth at Omnibus and Northwall on UK tour; Lysistrata at the Arcola; and WOOD at VAULT Festival. 

As associate director: Inter Alia at National Theatre; and Otherland at Almeida Theatre. 

As assistant director: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, The Fear of 13, Skeleton Crew and The Human Body at the Donmar Warehouse, What If If Only at the Royal Court; and Ivan and the Dogs at the Young Vic Theatre. 

We discuss her role as associate director on the hit show Inter Alia at the National Theatre, the conversations it sparks and the process of putting the whole show together. 

The production is set to make its Broadway debut later this year. 

All this and much more, thank you Grace!

Oliver Gower
Spotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261
Instagram: @ollietheuncensoredcritic
For enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.com

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Thank you all for your support!

Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ 
Track Name. Early Morning

Kate is an actress, writer and teacher, she graduated from RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and her work can be seen across theatres, BBC and Channel 4. As well as in classes at Arts Ed, LAMDA, Rutgers Uni at the Globe, National Opera Studio and for the New Actors Centre. 

Her acting credits include:

Theatre:
Echo - Royal Court
The Old House - RADA Festival and Camden Fringe - Kate’s own one woman show
Opening Skinner’s Box - devised by the Improbable Theatre company, written by Lee Simpson at the Northern Stage, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Bristol Old Vic
One Cold Dark Knight - Bush
Stone Circle, directed by Matthew Dunster
Film:
Six Underground, directed by Michael Bay
Flawless, dir. Michael Radford
Seven Lucky Gods - nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Milan International Film Festival 

Currently developing her new show “Murmurations”. 

In 1997 she met Scott Williams and discovered the Meisner Technique which she now teaches across the UK and Internationally. Her practice is helping actors with their “Present Performance”. 

On top of all this, she is part of the rejuvenation project of the New Actors Centre, formally known as The Actors Centre. Kate is part of the team, including Harry Burton, which is helping to get it back on its feet. By providing London based actors with a place that will run classes and help rebuild the actor and creative community that was under threat when it initially closed. 

More information about this and how to support the cause can be found via the websites below. 

newactorscentre.org
katemaravan.com

Kate and I discuss drama school training, her work on Meisner technique and how she has helped to rebuild The Actors Centre back to where it needs to be. 

Thank you Kate!

Oliver Gower
Spotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261
Instagram: @ollietheuncensoredcritic
For enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.com

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Thank you all for your support!

Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ 
Track Name. Early Morning

Cassandra Woodhouse Part 3!

Cassandra returns to talk about her latest discoveries about playing Tessa in her latest tour of Prima Facie around New Zealand. 

As well as her debut book, “Sex, Power and Prima Facie: When Art Becomes Activism and the Creatress Rises”.

In this beautiful book, Cassandra delivers a powerful, poignant and vivid understanding of not only Suzie Miller’s play, but of the healing journey after the curtain comes down. Sex, Power and Prima Facie delves into her experience of taking this play around New Zealand, a one woman show in more ways than one, and the profound impact it had on the audiences and herself. From advice on how to regulate your nervous system after a demanding acting challenge, to having empathy for people sharing their stories for the first time. 

This book is not only for fans of the play, but for those discovering it for the first time. 

This is for you and the one in three. 

Get your copies now on from any major retailer, and it’s also available as an audiobook on Spotify. 

All this and much more!

Thank you again Cassandra always a pleasure!

Oliver Gower
Spotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261
Instagram: @ollietheuncensoredcritic
For enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.com

Please Like, Download and Subscribe ✍️
Thank you all for your support!

Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ 
Track Name. Early Morning

Flora trained in musical theatre at Arts Ed and has gone on to be part of some of the biggest shows for stage and screen. 

Her credits include, for screen:
Judy, dir. Rupert Goold
Streetdance: The Movie 
Malory Towers, Series 1, 4 and 5 - BBC
Geek Girl - Netflix

Theatre:
Singin’ in the Rain - Chichester Festival and West End
Kiss Me Kate - Welsh National Opera
Funny Girl
Wonderful Town
The American Clock - Old Vic
Macbeth - Players Theatre Company
The 47th - Old Vic, Rupert Goold, understudy Ivanka Trump
Suddenly Last Summer, English Theatre Frankfurt
Stranger Things: The First Shadow, West End, dir. Justin Martin 
Currently - Understudy to Rosamund Pike in Suzie Miller’s latest hit play Inter Alia - playing at the Wyndham’s Theatre in London and will soon be making its Broadway debut later this year. 

Not to mention, she was also part of the Walker’s crisps 70th Birthday advert in 2018 playing the “Tupperware lady”. Brilliantly I must say!

Flora discusses her time at Arts Ed, the rewards and challenges of musical theatre training as well as  understudying Rosamund Pike in the huge role of Jessica Parks in Inter Alia. In addition, how the play’s subject matter (slight spoilers ahead) sparks tough but essential conversations about consent, what teenagers can access on the internet and creating a safe space to discuss sensitive subjects. 

Thank you Flora!

Oliver Gower
Spotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261
Instagram: @ollietheuncensoredcritic
For enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.com

Please Like, Download and Subscribe ✍️
Thank you all for your support!

Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ 
Track Name. Early Morning