Catherine Bennett resumes the weekly look at the performing arts world, with the sad end of Jerusalem, the luck of a cabbie, and French revolt. Do you hear the people sing?
Adam Alcock reviews Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and his own Four Elements at York Opera House.
Catherine Bennett highlights the trends in the performing arts world today.
Jonathan Cridford reviews 'Ghosts', one of the Freshers' plays for this year.
It is one of Shakespeare’s most contentious plays, merging the story of young love with revenge-filled courtroom drama.
A young Venetian gentleman, Bassanio, with the help from the merchant Antonio, is determined to win the hand of the wealthy heiress Portia. To fund the venture, they turn to the Jewish moneylender Shylock, and what ensues is a tale of close friendships, prejudice and betrayal.
The atmosphere of drama was beautifully set. Against the backdrop of the plain black box staging, The Merchant of Venice came to life without any unnecessary, distracting embellishment. The performances of the actors could thus stand out, and deservedly so. Grace Bird as Portia showed great versatility, fantastically spirited whilst conducting the lottery scenes and grave and powerful as she prosecuted Shylock in court.
Strong supporting roles came from David Kendra as Graziano and Matthew Pattison as Launcelot Gobbo, who gave us some much needed comic relief. However, I do feel that Katy Sharp as Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, was cast for a role beyond her years. By far the best performance of the night was Ged Murray’s Shylock. Murray gave an emotionally wrought and thought-provoking performance, adding to the sobering effect of this production.
The Merchant of Venice is often regarded as a ‘comedy that went wrong’, with the more dramatic scenes thought to eclipse the more comic elements. Cecily Boys’ production, however, got the balance just right, complimented by a great use of costume (apart from Portia’s significant lack of a moustache when she disguised herself as the Doctor of Laws), lighting and pleasant music from the Belmont Piano Trio. A must-see.
The Merchant of Venice runs at the Upstage Theatre, 41 Monkgate until Saturday 22nd November. £8 (conc. £6) from The Theatre Royal 01904 623568 or on the door. Evening shows (every day including Saturday): 7.30pm, Matinee: Saturday 22nd, 2.30pm. For more information visit the York Shakespeare Project website.
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