At times deeply shocking, sugar-coated with goofy humour, this is an extraordinary must-see production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, relevant to our dark times so filled with hatred, in particular racism and religious intolerance but also critiquing justice and capitalism. Directed by Arin Arbus of New York’s Theatre for a New Audience, a mutli-racial and ethnic company, Shylock is played by John Douglas Thompson, a Black actor, emphasising the similarities between anti-semitism and racism against people of colour. Set in the near future, this is a Venice more like an American dystopia with a concrete Brutalist set, contemporary grey suits and mobile phones, where street culture meets ‘For sooth.’
Extraordinary must-see... relevant to our dark times so filled with hatred
Shylock’s cruel bond, a pound of flesh for a defaulted loan, if enacted will inevitably kill Antonio. Revenge indeed. The racist abuse that has led to Shylock’s attitude is cleverly referred to in throwaway asides, rather than major scenes, such as references to a hypocritical Christian society who treats him ‘like your asses and your dogs and mules’ emphasised by the cast continually spitting on Shylock so that we have sympathy for him. Yet it is Shakespeare’s genius to make Shylock a flawed man. The tragedy being that in his insistence on getting his bond, he loses his own humanity. The shock of Shylock’s treatment in the court scene is so visceral his faults are forgiven, not least by Thompson’s outstanding performance.
With dignity, grace and a gravelly voice, Thompson elevates what is frankly not one of Shakespeare’s best plays with its ramshackle structure and unconvincing folktale-like casket scene, into a deeply humane portrait of Shylock. Thompson speaks his lines as if thinking aloud, so the audience can follow as if he is speaking English as comprehensible as that of today, not just iambic pentameter.
Not all the cast have this facility, even Portia (Isabel Arraiza) is rather affectless in the first act but comes alive as the doctor of law, Balthazar, in the court scene and the famous ‘quality of mercy’ speech. The bit parts are hilarious, enlivened by caricature New York street swagger, high fives, ironic facial expressions with enough basic non-verbal humour to please our modern day ‘groundlings’ going by the whoops from the audience. What a joy to actually find Shakespeare’s comic characters funny when so often the humour passes us by. Particularly memorable are a drunken Gratiano (Haynes Thigpen) and Lancelet Gobbo (Matthew Saldívar).
Rather confusing is Ariel Shafir’s interpretation of Bassanio in a similar style, all ironic facial tics but no clear emotional reactions. Purists will point out that the gay overtones of his and Antonio’s relationship is not suggested in the text - overt friendships between men were common in Shakespeare’s time. Perhaps this explains Shafir’s ambivalent performance.
Other issues are a gratuitous abusive sex scene between Lorenzo and Jessica, a flagrant distortion of the original where Jessica has chosen the man she wants to marry (unlike Portia who must obey her father’s wishes) and there is a happily ever after marriage. But these are quibbles. Twists or additional material themselves can be hugely successful as is the chanting of the Kol Nidre, the Jewish Prayer on the Day of Atonement, with which Ms Arbus ends the play, underlining the sad breach in Shylock and his daughter’s relationship.
A modern playwright would probably have ended the play after the court scene. The sub-plots that follow need resolving but are a little tedious. However, Thompson’s portrayal of Shylock’s humiliation and his abject exit will stay with you and more than compensates. This is a moment you won’t forget and leaves you with much to ponder on.
