The Merchant of Venice, Almeida

While most of the cast from the 2011 RSC run of the show will return, Sir Patrick Stuart will not be reprising his role as Shylock. Ian McDiarmid (former artistic director of the Almedia best known for his role as Palpatine in Star Wars) will take to the stage instead, alongside Susannah Fielding and Scott Handy reprising their roles as Portia and Antonia.  
We saw the show at its first outing in Stratford. The flashy glitz divided critics, and with its big production numbers, Elvis impersonator, and American accents, this is most certainly not Shakespeare at its most traditional. While we thought that the subtleties of Shakespeare's iambic pentameter were somewhat lost in the attempts at American accents (some convincing, others am-dram), we were impressed by the way in which the Vegas theme shed new light on the play's themes. Portia’s casket scenes are presented as a game show, giving her speech to Bassanio about artifice and the revelation of one’s true self a whole new, and utterly believable, dimension.  
Genuine risk-taking in Shakespearean adaptations is rare, and we are very glad that this bold production is getting a second life in London. If you're a Shakespeare purist, steer clear, but if you fancy something little more experimental this an eye-opening adaptation.

Click here to read our review.