By Eman Talal
ABU DHABI – When creativity meets literature on stage, you understand what real magic is. An outstanding mixture of hip-hop and rap was presented to the audience in a very unique way on March 3 at the Abu Dhabi Theatre at the Breakwater.
The Q Brothers, who are American rappers, recreated one of William Shakespeare’s best stories, “Othello,” and mixed it with our modern-day art. The constant beat never stopped. Words weren’t spoken but rapped.
The speed of the Chicago group’s rapping was extraordinary. The Q Brothers didn’t stumble over the words or mumble. Indeed, the audience was impressed by how well they rapped.
The Q Brothers brought out the best of both the old and the modern in dancing in this Abu Dhabi performance. The chemistry between the dancers was breathtaking. Their dancing seemed effortless, as they never missed a beat. Their moves were well choreographed, and they seemed to enjoy dancing on the stage more than rapping.
The real creativity in this play rested in turning one of Shakespeare’s most tragic plays into a comedy. There were so many funny moments that cracked the audience into laughing tears; however, when Othello was killing his lover, the whole stage mode changed from funny into thrilling – and tragic. The Q Brothers did an outstanding job in manipulating how the audience felt.
Desdemona, Othello’s wife, one of the main characters in Shakespeare’s play, never made an appearance on stage, but only her pre-recorded singing voice was heard. This added a feeling of creepiness for the audience, and everyone was waiting for her to show up at any moment. At the end of the play, you realize that you felt her presence but without an actual performer being there.
The acting was great. Using cheap fake wigs, the Q Brothers were able to pull off the women’s scenes without actually having a woman on stage. It made a world of difference because if there would have a woman on stage, it wouldn’t have been as funny as it turned out to be.
One of my absolute favorite moments was when they all started preforming like dream girls. It was so creative and unexpected.
This version of Shakespeare’s play was so perfectly performed that it succeeded in pleasing both students and their elders.
This story was originally published on March 25, 2015. It was re-uploaded on Dec. 24, 2020.
