Hip-Hop Othello, The Globe Theatre, London, review If this sounds like a lot for four people to get through on their own (there are only four actors who remain on stage during the whole play switching between different roles) - it is. Not that this matters, 'Q Company' from Chicago perform the tale expertly with the performance of Iago in particular, played as a frustrated and envious muscian, outstanding. While there was certain fun to be had in Othello's modern setting and the quick character changes of the cast, the performance did not shirk the darker elements of the play. Desdemona's demise was shocking, her non-presence in the play (only her pre-recorded singing voice is heard) a clever way of highlighting that her transformation occurs only in Othello's head, rather than in reality. The show fizzed along with so much verve that the story with its familiar themes of jealousy, friendship and betrayal was utterly engrossing - even for those members for the Globe audience that one suspects were not witnessing their first performance of Othello. The actors make clear in a rap at the begining of the play that they are part of a tradition of reworking familiar stories that Shakespeare himself borrowed from the Greeks. If the writers felt they needed to justify touching one of Shakespeare's finest plays, they needn't have bothered: the show is a triumph from begining to end. Globe to Globe is part of the World Shakespeare Festival for the London 2012 Festival and continues until June 9. See Globe Theatre website for details.