British Universities Film & Video Council

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Merchant of Venice, The

Synopsis
Video recording, using a single, fixed camera, of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1987 production of The Merchant of Venice. Directed by Bill Alexander with Antony Sher as Shylock.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Video
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Recording date
6 Aug 1987
Duration
170 feet

Credits

Director
Bill Alexander
Writer
William Shakespeare
Music
Guy Woolfenden
Production Design
Kit Surrey
Costume
Andreane Neofitou
Cast
Nicholas FarrellBassanio
Deborah FindlayPortia
Geoffrey FreshwaterGratiano
Akim MogajiBalthazar
Akim MogajiOfficer
Arnold YarrowOld Gobbo
Bill McGuirkTubal
David PullanLeonardo
David PullanGaoler
Deborah GoodmanNerissa
Gregory DoranSolanio
Hakeem Kae-KazimPrince of Morocco
Kate LittlewoodCitizen of Venice
Laban LeakeStephano
Phil DanielsLauncelot Gobbo
Pippa GuardNerissa
Richard ConwayDuke of Venice
Richard ConwayPrince of Arragon
Susan Harper-BrowneCitizen of Venice

Additional Details

Theatre
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Theatre company
Royal Shakespeare Company
Production type
Stage Recordings
Historical period
Renaissance Italy
Plays
Merchant of Venice, The
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

Notes
A second master was recorded 6 August 1987 - understudy copy.
General
Bill Alexander’s production strongly foregrounded the anti-semitic aspects of the play. Sher accentuated the racial traits of Shylock playing him with a heavy accent, shuffling gait, heavily bearded and wearing exotic clothes. David Nathan, writing in the Jewish Chronicle (8 May 1987), described Sher as a ‘lip-smacking, liquid-eyed Levantine bargain hunter’.
History
Press night 29 April 1987
Stills
Stills from, and design notes on, the production are available on the Arts and Humanities Performing Arts Data Service (AHDS) at http://ahds.ac.uk/performingarts/collections/designing-shakespeare.htm
Reviews
Billington, Michael The Guardian (1 May 1987).

Production Company

Name

Royal Shakespeare Company

Web
https://www.rsc.org.uk External site opens in new window
Address
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Waterside
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
CV37 6BB

Archive

Name

Shakespeare Centre Library and Archive

Email
scla@shakespeare.org.uk
Web
https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/ External site opens in new window
Phone
01789 204016 (bookings)
Fax
01789 262073
Address
Henley Street
Stratford-upon-Avon
CV37 6QW

Record Stats

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