British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Merchant of Venice, The

Synopsis
A video recording, using a single, fixed camera, of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1997 production of The Merchant of Venice. Directed by Gregory Doran with Philip Voss as Shylock.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Video
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Recording date
11 Dec 1997
Duration
165 mins

Credits

Director
Gregory Doran
Writer
William Shakespeare
Music
Corin Buckeridge
Production Design
Robert Jones
Costume
Sue Wilmington
Cast
Philip VossShylock
Julian CurryAntonio
Scott HandyBassanio
Helen SchlesingerPortia
John DougallGratiano
Alan StocksLeonardo
Alexander SumnerLady
Andrew MaudSolanio
Andrew UfonduSalerio
Colin GeorgePrince of Arragon
Dominic RowanLorenzo
Emma HandyJessica
Evroy Dhirendra DeerPrince of Morocco
Giles TaylorClerk of the Court
Griffith JonesTubal
Jimmy ChisholmLauncelot Gobbo
Lisa ReevesLady
Rowan MacCallumBalthazar
Sandy MacNabDuke of Venice
Sian ReevesNerissa

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 recording was also made at the Barbican 25 February 1999.
History
Press night 10 December 1997
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
`Voss’s Shylock was hailed by some as a rediscovery of the essences of Shakespeare character after the inevitable, albeit understandable, politicisation of Shylock in more recent times. Alistair Macaulay described these ‘essences’ brought out by Voss: ‘He is so naked in his religiosity, in his hatreds, in his money-dealings, in his grief, in his vengeance, that, just as we are about to identify with him, we recoil from him. . . He is awesome and embarrassing’ (Financial Times, 15/12/97). Cited on the RSC website.

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

This record has been viewed 987 times.