‘If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge.’  

LONDON –  The Bard’s classic tale of money, love and revenge gets a staging at the Drayton Arms Theatre this October. Antonio, a merchant, needs a loan. His friend, Bassanio, needs a rich wife in order to clear his debts. Portia, a wealthy heiress, is reduced to a prize that men must gamble for. Beneath the charmed surface, all are at risk and everyone needs a win. As for Shylock, the despised money-lender? All he wants is revenge.

In a city run by greed, in the grip of carnival chaos, what price must you pay for love? Can you hope for justice in a society without tolerance? And for the outsider, is vengeance the closest he can get to winning?

From the team that staged a ‘spunky, ferocious’ Romeo and Juliet at the Rose Playhouse, comes Shakespeare’s darkest comedy. 400 years later, the play continues to trouble and challenge us with its world of prejudice and greed. This society is harsh and everyone in it is morally grey. But all are human, and Shakespeare skilfully manipulates our feelings about the antagonist; but can he ultimately succeed?

The Merchant of Venice plays from 1st to 19th October 2019 at the  Drayton Arms Theatre, 153 Old Brompton Road, London, SW5 0LJ. Tickets available here