|
Yorkshire’s
celebrated theatre company Northern Broadsides visit the Liverpool
Everyman between 30 March and 3 April 2004 with a compelling new
production of Shakespeare’s gripping drama, The Merchant Of Venice.
Artistic
Director and founder of the company, Barrie Rutter, chooses to work
with Northern actors who perform in their natural voices, breaking
the southern stranglehold on ‘received pronunciation’ and allowing
the audience to hear the words afresh.
A ground-breaking
idea when the company was formed in 1992, this unique approach continues
to impress audiences and critics alike.
The
cast for this production includes Claire Calbraith (Dr Summerbee
in ITVs Heartbeat) as Portia, Richard Standing (ITVs Coronation
Street and ´óÏó´«Ã½ 1s The Doctors) as Bassanio, and Jonathan Le Billon
(Brian ‘the Goth’ in Hollyoaks).
Founder/director
Barrie Rutter will play Shylock the moneylender – one of Shakespeare’s
most complex and compelling characters.
The
Merchant of Venice is very much a play for out time; evoking a world
dominated by money and populated by characters corrupted by vice
and greed.
Racial
prejudice rears its ugly and ever-present head as Christian and
Jew become locked in a bitter battle that escalates to tragic proportions.
Add
to this a company of versatile performers who perform music live
on stage and sing acapella, and the result is an entertaining and
imaginative production.
|
