The Merchant of Venice - The Octagon Theatre, Bolton - 19/09/08
Director Mark Babych has fashioned a piece of Venetian class out of Shakespeare's perennially troubling, and troublesome, play.
Staging it all in contemporary dress lends new vigour to the themes of bigotry and gender equality. The particular final cruelty meted out to Shylock draws a collective gasp from the audience; just as Portia's emancipation earns some of the loudest laughs.
Of course it also does the production no harm that it should be launched just when the world is going through financial convulsions even greater than those endured at the court of Venice.
Designer Tom Scott's setting is watery and reflective, providing a backdrop that could be just as much Canary Wharf as the Rialto.
Here traders swagger about with cases of champagne, while their wheeler-dealing cares little for morality or humanity.
The whole production is modern, elegant and flash – maybe too fast for some purists, since much of the dialogue is raced, and a few of the classic speeches are undersold.
But as a relevant, thrilling, and deeply moving impression of the play it would be difficult to beat this particular Merchant.
Take our first meeting with Shylock. As he browses the sculptures in a trendy art gallery at least one of the exhibits could well provide him with the idea for his unique 'pound of flesh' contract.
For all the inherent cruelty in his dealings David Fielder plays a Jew truly more sinned against than sinning, especially as he presents as a quietly-spoken East European who has maybe seen, and guiltily survived, the greatest cruelty suffered by his people.
Emily Pithon is a high-value Portia, a woman of wealth who would look at home in a Porsche, as much as she does cross-dressing in a lawyer's sharp suit.
This pin-stripe, pin-neat production trades until October 11.
David Upton
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