Review: The Merchant of Venice 1936 at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse

“…absolutely phenomenal from beginning to end…”

The Merchant of Venice 1936 by William Shakespeare adapted by Brigid Larmour and Tracy-Ann Oberman, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse

by Melissa Molloy

This production was so powerful, I completely forgot I was sitting in a cramped theatre with a couple of hundred people. The entire show was mesmerising and thought-provoking.

The start wasn’t announced, instead the cast burst into the theatre from all angles, wandering briefly around the crowd before making their way up to the stage in a flurry of tablecloths being laid, candles being lit, and food and drink being thrust onto the table that was set centre front of the stage. Here, we were introduced to a very intimate Jewish dinner time event complete with prayer in what I assume was Hebrew or Yiddish. This was expertly translated, where needed, by one of the dinner guests. The play combined the traditional Shakespearean storyline with some more modern imagery and themes portraying mistreatment of marginalised groups, being projected onto the backdrop at regular intervals. This brought the storyline closer to home and enhanced the questionable underlying themes of the play.

The set was perfectly balanced. It was neither overly complicated nor too sparse and provided enough visual aid to ensure the audience was drawn into the scene. The set changes were expertly done and rather than feeling like noticeable changes, they blended seamlessly into the emerging scenes and made the entire play feel like one smooth take. The back of the stage alternated between being part of the set or acting as a blank screen for displaying the more contemporary still images or film footage. The sound and lighting effects team were on point with every sound effect or lighting change. It was executed so smoothly and felt almost like watching a perfectly edited live action film.

When it comes to the acting itself, I am struggling to put into words just how perfect it was with every word uttered having power, passion, and pure energy. The actors are clearly experienced and well accomplished. The star of the show tonight for me was Shylock (played by Tracy-Ann Oberman). Everything about her was perfect. Her delivery was spot on in the way she portrayed the character as a heartless businesswoman yet showed a tenderness and helplessness over the abandonment by her daughter. Despite Shylock’s flaws, her greed and her vicious intentions towards Antonio (played by Joseph Millson), she still made you feel sorry for her in the courtroom when it became apparent her villainous plan had failed and instead, she would lose everything she had worked for.

I almost don’t want to talk about the ending as I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I can’t possibly portray how poignant it was without sharing in some way what transpired. Mid-scene, Shylock/Tracy-Ann Oberman broke the fourth wall and went on to describe in her own voice, the traumatic experience of her own family when they found themselves caught up in a fascist and racist attack by the Blackshirts, led by Oswald Mosley. This took place in Liverpool, and she went on to describe how the people of Liverpool came together regardless of religion, race or sexuality to fight back against this regime. Before retreating into the scene, she ended her speech with the solid statement that we are ‘stronger together’.  As the lights went down there was almost silence with the entire audience in awe of Shylock’s last scene. The main word I could hear being uttered in almost choked sounds was ‘wow’. I am not ashamed to admit that I had to take a minute myself before I could speak properly.

The whole experience of this production was absolutely phenomenal from beginning to end. I wish I could make this play compulsory viewing. What I will do though, is urge you to go and watch it as soon as you can.

The Merchant of Venice 1936 plays at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse until Saturday 08 February. Tickets are available here.

Melissa Molloy is currently masquerading as a special needs teacher, having previously spent 10 years teaching English, media studies and drama. In her spare time, she offers editorial reviews, beta-reads and guidance to new authors who wish to self-publish their writing. In lieu of sleeping, Melissa often finds herself with her head buried in her laptop – slowly writing her first novel. When she isn’t drowning in work, Melissa can be found paddleboarding and kayaking in local lakes, usually accompanied by at least one or two of her four children.