The Merchant of Venice
****
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff – The Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival.
An electric 80’s take on a loved Shakespeare classic, {The Merchant of Venice} at Cardiff’s Open Air Theatre is an unexpected delight.
In traditional Shakespearean style this comedy is a story of power, love, sex, and revenge. The narrative follows four interwoven plots with the most prominent being a problematic trade deal between Christian merchant Antonio, and the villainous moneylender Shylock (who has often been seen as an anti-Semitic stereotype). Being familiar with the production in my secondary school days, where I played the starring role as box carrier #2, I was intrigued to see how a modern take would translate. Immediately the audience is transported from the play’s historic setting of Venice, Italy to a stereotypical 1980’s office, with more shoulder-padded power suits and neon Lycra than one could dream of. As a result, certain scenes which have been altered from the traditional script quickly become evident and cuts throughout the play. However, in general the dialogue stays fairly true to original Shakespearean script for any raving loyalists out there.
As with many modern adaptions of texts from different era, issues of political correctness are blatantly evident. A central theme that’s runs through the play is the conflicting relations between the Jewish and Christian characters. Unquestionably anti-semetic language and actions are present throughout, which personally I feel made for uncomfortable viewing on a number of occasions. The binary opposition of good versus evil in the form of the Christians versus the Jews is used as a driver of the plot which is troubling for modern audiences. When positioning the play in a historical context it’s message has been used by many anti-Semite groups to justify their actions – most notoriously in the case of the Nazi’s use of the character Shylock in the dissemination of anti-Semitic propaganda. It added to the awkwardness that no modernization of the representation of the Jewish people had been used in this adaption.
Nevertheless, aesthetically the production cannot be faulted; the fashion, set design and musical interludes unapologetically scream 80’s exuberance in its most brash definition. The energy the cast brought to each scene was a roaring and quickly-paced display of talent, particularly featured in the infamous monologues from Shylock and Portia. Performances from Sarah Green (Portia) and Vicky Walters (Nerissa) were exceptionally commendable. In a predominantly male cast their sassy and stylistic delivery of Shakespearian dialogue made the production accessible to every average Joe the audience. In many ways the play boasts feminist themes, with the women featured serving to be the heroic victors in the final sequences. Director Simon H West further exaggerates this, with a well chosen closing song of Aretha Franklin’s Sister’s Doing It For Themselves which went down a treat.
The Merchant of Venice was a playful, well-timed and lively display that has set the bar high for the productions set to be shown throughout the rest of the summer. So if you’re after something a bit different from the norm this week, I’d highly recommend checking this production out. Mel Lynch
Merchant of Venice runs until Fri 30 Jun. Tickets: £14-16 The Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival runs until Thu 28 Jul. Info: 0333 666 3366 / everymantheatre.co.uk
