Donation lets kids see hip-hop style Othello

The Chicago Shakespeare Theater perform Othello: The Remix.

Remix a modern take on classic play about jealousy and racism.

A generous donation will allow 300 high school students to see a performance of Othello: The Remix at the Auckland Arts Festival.

The donor has bought 300 tickets to the performance, and will fund buses to take pupils from South Auckland to see the show in Takapuna.

Arts festival chief executive David Inns said the patron's support meant students who missed out on the South Auckland performance of Othello would be bussed to the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna.

"It is fabulous that this support has made Othello: The Remix so accessible, by letting more students see the shows.

"Education is a very important part of what the Auckland Arts Festival does."

The play is one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, but not as you know it. Othello: The Remix is a contemporary take on the tale of racism and jealousy, told with hip-hop lyrics, a DJ and a comic twist.

It opened yesterday and will show at the Bruce Mason Centre until Monday.

On Tuesday the crew will head south for a sold-out performance at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau.

In the play, MC Othello is a hip-hop producer at the top of his game, who wins the affections of the beautiful singer Desdemona. But Iago is bitter, and plots against Othello and his loyal sidekick Cassio.

Othello: The Remix was originally commissioned by London's Globe Theatre, and is created by brothers GQ (Gregory Qaiyum) and JQ (Jeffery Qaiyum) who also star in the the production.

It is Q Brothers' fourth Shakespearean adaptation, following on from Funk It Up About Nothin' (their version of Much Ado About Nothing), an adaptation of A Comedy of Errors, and A Mad-Summer Night's Dream.

Tonight also heralds the return of the festival's White Night - an evening of free visual art, dance, music, poetry and video events from about 5pm to midnight at more than 100 venues and locations from Devonport to Otara, Titirangi to the CBD.

This year, White Night includes performances within a broad range of linguistic and cultural contexts, including Maori, New Zealand European, Indian, Fijian, Samoan, Japanese and Solomon Islands.

In 2013, White Night drew an estimated 22,000 visits to 81 locations across 14 suburbs.

To find out what's on when and where, download the app at whitenight.aaf.co.nz/

• Othello: The Remix. Q Brothers and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Recommended for ages 10+.
7pm tonight, 6.30pm tomorrow and 7pm Monday at the Bruce Mason Centre.
7pm Wednesday at the Vodafone Events Centre.
Tickets from $25 (children $15).

White Night events include:

• NZ Trio, at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. From 7pm.

• Indian theatre company Prayas at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. 5.30pm.

• Java Dance Company on the New Zealand Maritime Museum's pontoons. 6pm.

• Java Dance Company will then perform on a free bus that will take viewers from the CBD to Mangere Arts Centre Nga Tohu o Uenuku. 6pm to midnight. (Bookings essential:

whitenight@aaf.co.nz

.)

• Collaborative street art by former US Black Panther Party minister of culture, Emory Douglas, and members of Auckland youth arts organisation Nga Rangatahi Toa will be on display at the Mangere Arts Centre Nga Tohu o Uenuku. From 6pm, presentation at 7.45pm.

• Go to

whitenight.aaf.co.nz

for a map and list of tonight's events by theme or location.