Star of TV's conman drama Hustle, Adrian Lester in discussions with the National Theatre about playing Othello

Adrian Lester, star of TV's conman drama Hustle, is in discussions with the National Theatre about playing Othello, with Rory Kinnear as the archvillain Iago.

National Theatre artistic chief Nicholas Hytner met the actors, both of whom he has directed in plays by the Bard (Adrian in Henry V; Rory in Hamlet) and all agreed to ring-fence 2013 and stage the Shakespearean tragedy during that year.
'Nick met us separately and we both went: 'Oh, yeah, we're doing that!' ' Adrian told me.

The actor, who last performed at the National eight years ago, when he played Henry V, stressed that negotiations were at an early stage.
'We've reached the level of agreement where I've agreed not to do it anywhere else, and Rory and the National are the same,' Adrian explained.

The National is serious about putting on a new production of Othello and it will be presented to coincide with the theatre’s 50th anniversary.
Laurence Olivier established the first NT company at the Old Vic in 1963, opening with Peter O’Toole as Hamlet. Albert Finney, Anthony Hopkins, Geraldine McEwan, Joan Plowright and Maggie Smith were among the thespians who trod the boards for the fledgling theatre troupe.

Othello was last staged at the National in 1998, with an acclaimed production directed by Sam Mendes starring David Harewood as the Moor and Simon Russell Beale as Iago.

In any event, the actor’s attention, for now at least, is focused on the eighth and final season of the successful BBC-Kudos production of Hustle, in which he plays Mickey Stone.

Adrian, along with Robert Glenister, Robert Vaughn and Rob Jarvis, begins filming in three weeks’ time, on locations in Birmingham. ‘I was going to pull out at season seven, but we agreed to give Hustle one last kick,’ Adrian said.

The actor will direct the season’s second episode — the first time he has sat behind the camera for the series. Earlier this year, he directed (and wrote) a 20-minute short film called Of Mary, and he is keen to progress to directing a feature film.

Episodes one and two of Hustle will film at the same time, with Alrick Riley shooting one while Adrian films the other.

‘The motive for the one I’m directing is that Mickey has been snatched and the team have to try to get me free,’ said Adrian.
‘I’ve been doing Hustle for the whole of my second daughter Jasmine’s life, and she’s seven.