Tracy-Ann Oberman gives an exceptional performance as Shylock in this powerful reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Merchant Of Venice, set in London’s East End in 1936. The story unfolds against a backdrop of unrest and rising antisemitism, as numbers grow amongst the British Union of Fascists.

Shakespeare’s original text of The Merchant Of Venice is well known for its depiction of Shylock, a Jewish money-lender who seeks revenge, having been tormented and assaulted on the street. Antonio (the titular ‘Merchant’) borrows money from Shylock and, failing to repay the debt in time, is forced to uphold the gruesome terms of their bargain: Shylock demands “a pound of flesh” from Antonio in payment.

This part of the story has become so notorious that the lighter plotlines can be easily forgotten: the play is a traditional ‘Shakespearean comedy’, complete with parallel love stories, bawdy humour, and women disguising themselves as men. Under Brigid Larmour’s direction, however, the focus shifts to centre the mistreatment of Shylock, emphasising rather than burying the antisemitic themes that run through the whole play. 

The production’s effectiveness is also a triumph of the excellent cast, who allow the tension and dissent to seep into every scene, without losing moments of comedy.

Raymond Coulthard’s Antonio is manipulative and physically intimidating, while Portia (Hannah Morrish) exudes nervous energy. Bassanio, Lorenzo and Gratiano (Gavin Fowler, Priyank Morjaria and Xavier Starr) are a trio of impressionable young men, alternately bumbling and rioting in the streets, and drawing away Shylock’s daughter (Jessica, played by Gráinne Dromgoole). The 1930s setting is brought to life, not by elaborate set changes, but through the cast’s adept and stylised performance.

Tracy-Ann Oberman’s central performance as Shylock is magnificent, which is perhaps unsurprising. As mentioned in the ‘Director’s Note’, she is partly responsible for the inception of the production, after telling Larmour that “she wanted to play Shylock as an East End matriarch in the 1930s”, inspired by her own family’s history. The re-framing of this play, to tell Shylock’s story, allows the audience to consider its problematic elements from a modern perspective, while also drawing a parallel with a significant moment in 20th-century British history. Book soon to catch this profound and spellbinding performance.

Reviewed by Jessica Clixby at the RSC’s Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Tuesday 27 September.

The Merchant Of Venice 1936 plays at the RSC’s Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Saturday 7 October. It then plays at Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 17 - Saturday 21 October before returning to the Swan from Wednesday 24 January to Saturday 10 February.