Shakespeare’s plays are always a difficult one to call. The sheer intensity of the writing means concentration and stamina throughout, and this puts many theatregoers off.
But a modern clean sweep has transformed The Merchant of Venice into a well thought out and gripping play to watch and Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre is playing host to it until 15th February.
A transatlantic partnership with New York based Theatre for a New Audience, saw The Lyceum’s production of Macbeth in America last year and The Merchant of Venice is the debut for the USA company in Edinburgh.
Set in an American city in the near future, director Arin Arbus has brought Manhattan style to the Scottish stage, and everything is fast moving and bursting with energy from the start.
It’s all big and brash and has the audience chuckling along as the story unfolds. English-American actor John Douglas Thompson plays the Venetian Jewish money lender Shylock, portrayed as the villain, but who is discriminated by others because of his religious beliefs.
Thompson plays the powerful character beautifully and you almost feel sorry for his desire for revenge against the Christians who belittle him, despite his obvious greed and vindictiveness.
Shylock does not have a great relationship with his daughter Jessica (Danaya Esperanza) and she steals his jewels and runs away with Christian, Lorenzo (David Lee Huỳnh) which sparks Shylock’s bitterness even more, especially when it becomes apparent Jessica has made a big mistake.
The main conflict of the play comes via titular merchant Antonio (Alfredo Narciso) who accepts money lender Shylocks terms in order to secure a loan. He agrees that Shylock can cut off a pound of flesh if he fails to repay three thousand ducats within three months.
The money is for his friend Bassanio (Arief Shafir) to help him woo Portia (Isabel Arraiza) a wealthy heiress who he wants to marry.
Antonio is in love with Bassanio and will do anything for his friend, but when he is unable to repay the loan, Shylock is keen to take his revenge.
A gripping courtroom drama follows and Portia’s friend Nerissa (Shirine Babb) disguises herself as a lawyer’s clerk to help save Antonio.
The plot is unravelled throughout via narrators Solanio (Yonatan Gebeyehu) and Salerio (Dave Quay) who relay off stage events and the cast is made up of Gratiano (Haynes Thigpen), a business friend of Bassanio, Lancelet Gobbo (Matthew Saldivar) a servant for first Shylock and then Bassanio, Portia’s servant Balthazar (Jeff Biehl) and the Prince of Arragon (Varin Ayala) and Morocco (Maurice Jones), both suitors keen to win Portia’s hand.
Riccardo Hernandez’s modern and multi-tiered set allows for several scenes to be played out in tandem and attempts to bridge the beauty of ancient Venice with modern day America.
With music from Justin Ellington and costume design by Emily Rebholz, the play is well executed and one for even those who find Shakespeare daunting.
The Merchant of Venice runs until 15th February 2025, and you can check out ticket availability on: www.lyceum.org.uk.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Photographs by Henry Grossman
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