AS you probably know, the jealous Iago in Shakespeare’s play Othello had about as much acquaintance with truth as does the world’s currently most recognisable man. Iago’s lies drove the misled and abject Othello to murder his wife, and the plot revolved around a handkerchief.

But it wouldn’t have played out that way were it not for the women – the faithful Desdemona herself, Iago’s co-erced wife Emilia and a courtesan called Bianca. Pulitzer prizewinning playwright Paula Vogel looked at the story again, from the point of view of the women, and now her 1993 play Desdemona – A Play About a Handkerchief, comes to Salisbury’s Studio Theatre from 11th to 16th May.

Amerian Vogel’s take on the three women in Othello move them from the sidelines to centre stage. The result is funny and poignant, but also bawdy, and the play contains adult themes, leading to an audience age guidance of 14+.

The Studio production is directed by Lorna Matthews-Keel and the cast is Sophie Booth as Desdemona, Sophie Cuerden as Emilia and Stephanie Kmiotek-Mutton as Bianca.

For more information contact Salisbury Information Centre in Fish Row on 01722 342860 or online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/studiotheatresalisbury