"Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster..."
Othello, Act 3 Scene 3

Gang leader Otis is dating super-smart Desire. Her love is the only thing keeping him in school.
But Iggy, Otis's gang rival, wants him gone. And he knows just what to do.

As Iggy weaves a web of lies and betrayal, it's soon clear that this story can only end in heartbreak.

The tragic story of Otis is based on Shakespeare's Othello, with main characters named Otis (Othello), Desire (Desdemona) and Iggy (Iago). The story is set in a school, where sinister behaviour from one of the pupils leads to an escalation in circumstances with devastating effects.

Much like its inspiration, Otis highlights the sad futility of crimes of passion – and also teen violence. This is captured brilliantly in both Tony Lee's text and Kevin Hopgood's illustrations.