Tonight is the last night of the ‘Abbey Shakespeare Players’ production of the ‘Merchant of Venice’. As a study text at school ‘Merchant’never particularly interested me, however I was looking forward to the intimacy with the characters and story line that being immersed in a production brings, watching the actors rehearse day after day perfecting each scene, learning every word. Seeing the director guide each actor, nurturing, drawing out their characters and allowing them to develop. There is a lot of pressure on the actors particularly performing a play as well known as ‘Merchant’. As one of the lead characters told me,’many of the speeches are very well known, people can recite them word for word. How awful it would be if I got one of the words wrong?’ This years director Amy assisted by Wil had some interesting takes on ways the characters were to be portrayed. For me, one of the most interesting was their decision to have the same actor play each of Portia’s prospective suitors. Joe was fabulous in this role making the casket scenes powerful and hilarious. Portia was sympathetically played by Mary who blended a lady like softness with the strength and intelligence needed to unpick Shylocks deed and free Antonio from his pound of flesh obligation. Each character was expertly chosen was preformed brilliantly.
Merchant is one of Shakespear’s earlier plays and as such there aren’t so many fully developed characters as in his later plays. Unusually, this year I didn’t find myself and the children retaining some of the more memorable speeches. Often throughout the year until the next play we can be heard shouting various lines to each other.  For example, when Puck first encounters Titania’s faeries or the wrestling scene.from King Lear. Although the play was superbly acted I feel it lacks  the passion and depth later plays enjoy and therefore perhaps there simply isn’t as much scope for memorable lines. Matt, the boys and Sophie all had parts this year, Matt as Lancelot even had lines to say, ‘his best endeavors were definitely done herein’. Felix joined the orchestra under the watchful eye and fabulous tutoridge of Henry and Richard, who’s compositions were perfectly conducted and beautifully complimented the scenes.  Luckily the weather held off till the last night when hurricane Bertha unleashed the last of her might above us and the play relocated to the old school house, offering the audience a more intimate and intense experience. Neither comedy nor tragedy ‘The Merchant of Venice’, was a very enjoyable production, one I was privileged to be a part of, albeit from the sidelines. Three weeks of intense emotion and learning, highs and line learning worries are finished for another year. I shall look forward to next year when it will all begin again.