The Merchant of Venice

Summary

1955 BBC production of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare.

Theatre play

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare [more information]

Play synopsis

'Antonio, the merchant of Venice, lends three thousand ducats to his friend Bassanio in order to assist him in his wooing of the wealthy and beautiful Portia of Belmont, an estate some distance from Venice. But Antonio’s own money is tied up in business ventures that depend on the safe return of his ships from sea, so he borrows the money from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender whom he has previously insulted for his high rates of interest. Shylock lends the money against a bond whereby failure to repay the loan on the agreed date will entitle Shylock to a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Portia’s father has decreed that she will marry whichever suitor makes the correct choice when presented with three caskets, made of gold, silver and lead. Where wealthy suitors from Morocco and Aragon fail, Bassanio succeeds by choosing lead. His friend Gratiano marries Portia’s lady-in-waiting Nerissa at the same time. News arrives that Antonio’s ships have been lost; he is unable to pay his debt. Shylock’s claim to his pound of flesh is heard in the law court before the duke. Unknown to their husbands, Portia disguises herself as a young male lawyer acting on behalf of Antonio, Nerissa as a clerk. Portia’s ingenious defence is that Shylock is entitled to his pound of flesh but not to spill any of Antonio’s blood; she argues that the Jew should forfeit his life for having conspired against the life of a Venetian. The duke pardons Shylock on condition that he gives half his wealth to Antonio and half to the state. Antonio surrenders his claim on condition that Shylock converts to Christianity and leaves his property to his daughter Jessica, whom he has disinherited for running away with her Christian lover Lorenzo. Portia and Nerissa then assert their power over Bassanio and Gratiano by means of a trick involving rings that the men have promised never to part with. Finally there is good news about Antonio’s ships.' (Source: http://www.rscshakespeare.co.uk/merchantofVenice.html.)

Production history

First performed around 1600.

Date of transmission

Sunday 13 March 1955

Time

8.30-10.30pm (with interval at 9.30pm)

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Hal Burton

Playwright

William Shakespeare

Musical Arrangements by

Cecily Arnold

Musical Arrangements by

Marshall Johnson

Designer

Hal Burton

Cast

John Breslin	Lorenzo
Leonard Davies	Balthasar
Jeffery Dench	Launcelot Gobbo
John Garley	Old Gobbo / Tubal
Rachel Gurney	Portia
John Hayter	Salerio
Derek Holmes	Leonardo
Michael Hordern	Shylock
Dudley Jones	Stephano
Ian Mullins	The Prince of Arragon
Laurence Payne	Gratiano
Denis Quilley	Bassanio
Michael Stainton	Gaoler
Hartnell Stone	Servant
Geoffrey Taylor	Solanio
Veronica Wells	Jessica
Jane Wenham	Nerissa
John Westbrook	The Prince of Morocco / The Duke of Venice
Raymond Westwell	Antonio

Additional details

Later transmissions

Repeated on Thursday 17 March 1955 at 9.15pm.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Print sources

Title

Oft in Sorrow (Magazine review)

Author/creator

Philip Hope-Wallace (Author)

Reference

The Listener, 17 March 1955, p. 493

Linking notes

includes a photograph of the production

Title

Radio Times, 11 March 1955 (Magazine)

Linking notes

illustrated listing on p. 14