CityLife

The Merchant of Venice

Merchant

MEMBERS of EastEnders and Coronation Street were at the Octagon to support friends and loved ones appearing in Shakespeare’s classic about money, money, money.

Mark Babych’s modern dress production, with its use of mobile phones, seems even more pertinent today as money is the main focus of the major global powers.

The other issues of racism and the treatment of aliens sadly remain as relevant today as when Shakespeare first wrote about them.

The cast is led by experienced actor David Fielder as Shylock, the Jewish money-lender bent on an eye for an eye revenge.

Several knights of the theatre, including Sir Laurence Olivier and even Dustin Hoffman, have played this intriguing character but Fielder’s Shylock is one of the best I’ve seen.

Wyllie Longmore is a dignified Antonio, who agrees to Shylock’s outrageous forfeit of a pound of flesh if he can’t pay back Bassanio’s loan.

Paul Barnhill’s rich delivery as Bassanio contrasted with Emily Pithon’s Portia.

Little gem

She plays her initially as a frivolous fashionista in her gold gown and high heels but threw away the famous ‘quality of mercy’ speech, although she came into her own in the final scene.

Both she and Coronation Street’s Jenny Platt, who made a really good Nerissa, were hampered by poor wigs when they arrived at the law-court disguised as men.

Catherine Kinsella gives a little gem of a performance as Shylock’s guilt-ridden daughter Jessica and talented Paul Simpson supplies the comedy as Launcelot Gobbo, who ad-libs about a credit card lunch as he rummages in a dustbin.

 Special mention must also be made of David Hobbs, who plays at least five different roles.

 This first-rate production is a great start to the Octagon’s new season and judging by the response at the end, the audience agreed.