THEATRE REVIEWS

The words become the face, the body and the limbs of Barrie Rutter as he interpreted Shylock in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round. This is a magnificent piece of acting by one of Britain’s foremost interpreters of Shakespeare’s plays. His company held the audience in raptured silence as they listened to the words and fell spellbound by his actors’ musical talents. Rutter’s direction took hold of the younger members of the company and got every last ounce of talent from them and by the end of the performance they did not know that they were not the character that they were playing.

Now where do we start, for everyone needs a mention, so let’s just list them. Antonio was Andrew Vincent, Salerio Andrew Cryer, Bassanio Paul Barnhill, Lorenzo Adam Sunderland, Gratiano Richard Standing, Portia Clare Calbraith, Nerissa Sara Poyzer, Prince of Morocco Dennis Conlon, Launcelot Gobbo Andrew Whitehead, Old Gobbo Leo Atkin, Jessica Jo Theaker, Prince of Arragon Roger Burnett. These actors took the audence through the story of a sharp businessman who wanted his pound of flesh on his own terms and when everyone rebelled the story gave the evening its intrigue and fascination. Not unlike today’s wheeling and dealing, as the distinctive modern day clothes of the cast stated.

If this production of Shakespeare’s play comes your way make every effort to see it. You will enjoy the action, the story and the music of Conrad Nelson set against minimalistic design of Venice by Emma Barrington-Binns and Guiseppe Belli. Great theatre. © BA

“The Merchant of Venice” is at the Round in Scarborough from the 1st March to the 6th of March, 2004 and continues touring.