Back in March I saw the West End transfer of Tracy Ann Oberman's Merchant of Venice 1936. The Merchant of Venice is one of those Shakespeare plays that I really struggle with justifying if it should still be produced today. It falls into the same category as The Taming of The Shrew for me,
where its problematic themes just don't outweigh its narrative strengths. This production, however, immediately peaked my interest, as setting it in the year 1936 adds immense stakes and a historical milieu which is all too recognizably anti-semetic. The production is set in East London and it ends with The Battle of Cable Street where the community came together and barricaded the streets to stop a fascist march led by the British Union of Fascists. It's an incredibtly powerful moment in history that shows us people coming together to stand up for what's right and to put a stop to Fascism. By setting this play around that moment, the context became quite relevant and harrowing, as the anti-semetic behavior being portrayed on stage was happening just a few blocks way less than a century ago. I also attended this production at a very specific moment in time, March of 2024 , just days after people had gathered outside of The Criterion Theatre in protest of the production.
My favorite moment was at the end of the production during the barricade scene, the company invited the audience to stand with them against fascism, and by the final blackout, most of the house were on their feet. It was a really powerful moment, and perhaps seeing the whole theatre standing in solidarity made the nosebleed seats up in the rafters worth it.
The cast was phenomenal, Tracy Ann Oberman led them with a firey and determined performance as a widowed-matriarch on a mission to defend her family and her community from the Blackshirts. The scenery was lovely, but the lighting and sound design really stole the show, creating a tense and dank atmosphere. I completely agree with the (incredibly powerful) choice to transition directly from the court scene into the barricade, but the transition did feel a bit rushed and untidy and took away from the immediate impact of the events, but overall it was a lovely production.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Wow, this sounds like an amazing adaptation of the original. Normally when seeing historical theatre or opera, I tend to like the original setting and costume, but this sounds like they were able to perfectly juxtapose the original play in to modern times. A rarity and something I would definitely enjoy seeing!