We used the word ‘tremendous’ on our Instagram to describe the new production of ‘The Merchant Of Venice’ with ‘1936’ added to the title, running at Bromley’s Churchill Theatre until 28th October, tickets here.
On further reflection, the word ‘Wow’ is even better. A longer summary might be that this is a play that, for us, started by making us shiver in our seats, went on to tell a gripping story beautifully, and ended by making us tearful. It left us with a feeling – as an audience – that most of us had probably never experienced in a theatre before. It was that good.
Wikipedia says of the play, written around 1596-1598:
“A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan on behalf of Bassanio, his dear friend, provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare’s other romantic comedies, the play is most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and it is best known for the character Shylock and his famous demand for a “pound of flesh” in retribution. The play contains two famous speeches, that of Shylock, “Hath not a Jew eyes?” on the subject of humanity, and that of Portia on “the quality of mercy”. Debate exists on whether the play is anti-Semitic, with Shylock’s insistence on his legal right to the pound of flesh being in opposition to Shylock’s seemingly universal plea for the rights of all people suffering discrimination.”
There is so much more to The Merchant Of Venice: 1936 than this. If you are familiar with the text, go and see this, a top production. If you’re not, go and see this, a top production. However, we had been excited at the prospect of seeing this production since we first heard of the blending of a 16th century comedy with an era of 20th century bigotry and fascism. In fact, that set a high bar. We could have been very disappointed and stepped off our normal place of positivity. We weren’t, and we won’t. It caught us by surprise from the start, a surprise we have no intention of spoiling for others here.
We had barely looked at any other reviews of the production, and just heard the one interview about it. On purpose. We had picked up on rave reviews for Tracy-Ann Oberman’s Shylock, and we can understand them, but in fact we would say the raving starts with the Director, Brigid Larmour, and at the production level. To combine set, sound, performances, and park (again) a 16th century story bang into a 20th century setting so evocatively and seamlessly, and to get stand-out performances across the whole cast, and to pull that reaction from the crowd was special. So, brilliantly done to the creators, whose website is here. And you can see the trailer, here, but don’t, as you should see this in full, and in person.
This is the most evasive review we have ever written, as we don’t want to share details of plot, costume, sound, staging, and other significant production elements, as they should all come as a glorious surprise to those who see this. We can, however, congratulate every single name we have seen involved:
Shylock – Tracy-Ann Oberman
Portia – Hannah Morrish
Antonio/Arragon – Raymond Coulthard (who had the comic highlight of the night with his Prince of Arragon)
Bassanio – Gavin Fowler
Mary/Nerissa – Jessica Dennis
Jessica – Gráinne Dromgoole
Gratiano/Police Constable – Xavier Starr
Lorenzo/Maharajah – Priyank Morjaria
Tubal/Duke/Waiter/Valet/Understudy – Alex Zur
Ensemble/Understudy – Nancy Farino
BRIGID LARMOUR – Director (deserving the double mention)
LIZ COOKE – Costume & Set Designer
RORY BEATON – Lighting Designer
ERRAN BARON COHEN – Composer
SARAH WELTMAN – Sound Designer
RICHARD KATZ – Movement
MATT LEDBURY – Production Manager
GRETA ZABULYTE – Video Editor
We recorded a member of the audience who echoed our sentiments and we will share that clip soon on the Bromley Buzz podcast. The final credit, though, should go to Shakespeare and to his golden words and his lasting themes. The blend of humanity, racism, revenge, romance, humour, drama and wit in the Merchant Of Venice is sublime, and the edge added here built on that fabulous foundation. This production was perfect for the times we are in. Shakespeare was ahead of his.
Darren and Jacqui Weale, 26th October 2023
Bromley Buzz 