“The Sydney Shakespeare Company has produced a beautifully simple and well-executed performance, for which I was captivated every minute.”

Theatre People

“The play features some outstanding performances by actors you can’t believe aren’t acting alongside Cate Blanchett and other Australian theatre royalty… doesn’t let you leave without feeling completely unsettled, creating a death scene that feels like you’re witnessing something through your neighbour’s window – my urge to help Dedesmona was stopped only by the row of people sitting in front of me, and I definitely saw some tears on their faces as they looked away… a very crystallised portrayal of Shakespeare that you definitely won’t find on the shelf at Blockbuster Video.”

Nine to Five

“The entire cast gave great performances… a truly mesmerising display of the spiral into madness by Anthony Taufa as Othello... A great show for Shakespeare fans.”

Australian Stage Online

“Steven Hopley has high hopes. He’s created The Sydney Shakespeare Company. This, in the city of Bell. Hello! Yet, like many impossibly ambitious schemes, his hopes, far from being dashed, have been substantially realised… He’s adeptly and assiduously bent Shakespeare’s arcane and archaic lingo into the shape of contemporary Australian inflections. Sometimes, such decisions can prove disastrous, but in Hopley’s case it reflects a great depth of understanding of the text, no doubt borne of an unusually studious familiarity. But without a certain affinity, even this wouldn’t be enough: it’s clear Hopley really gets The Bard… If you’ve never seen or read Othello before, SSC’s production is a damn fine place to start.”

Crikey