The Shakespeare and Race: The Future We Make celebrates the creativity and innovation of artists, researchers and young people of the global majority. Through brand-new performances, scholarly talks and the announcement of the inaugural One Globe First Book Fellowship, the festival spotlights and supports a new generation of voices reshaping what Shakespeare means today.
As part of the Festival, New Earth Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe present a work-in-progress sharing of Othello, set in medieval Japan, with inspiration drew from the real life of African samurai Yasuke.
This project delves into what new meanings and ideas could emerge when Shakespeare meets Samurai, both as a popular culture genre and part of Japanese cultural history.
This sharing is the culmination of a week of workshops exploring the idea. Join us to see extracts of the play in development. Then stay for a panel discussion with the cast, creatives, and cultural collaborators, where you can feed back, ask questions, and help shape the future direction of the piece.
20 October 2026 (Tuesday)
7.00 PM
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe
£8 including transaction fee
Cast
Oselo (Othello) Patrick Elue
Yagorou (Iago) James Cooney
Tesuna (Desdemona) / Daimyo (Duke) Aisha Goodman
Musician / Myo-jin Nao Masuda
Katoh (Cassio) Mark Takeshi Ota
Imari (Emilia) Emily Piggford
Banzawa (Brabantio) / Morimoto (Montano) Kevin Shen
Creative Team
Director Ailin Conant
Composer and Dramaturg Nao Masuda
Movement Director Emiko Ishii
Fight Director Haruka Kuroda
Stage Manager Daniel Roach-Williams
Design Consultant Jacob Wu
Lead Producer Tammie Rhee
Producer Clarissa Widya