Merchant of Venice, Royal Shakespeare Theatre ***

I had a choice between seeing Polly Findlay's Merchant starring Patsy Ferran or Trevor Nunn's Volpone with Henry Goodman. In the end, I chose youth over experience and chose Merchant. A few weeks later, the reviews came out for the production and it felt like I had made the wrong decision. Apart from one five star review from a reviewer whose views I disagree with on a regular basis, the bulk of the reviews were negative to say the least. The few people I spoke to in the weeks leading up to my trip weren't very complimentary of it either. Therefore, I went into the performance with lower than low expectations.

Therefore, it felt great to come out and say that it is OK. It is far from perfect. The pendulum was distracting with no real purpose; the brass set, whilst meaningful, felt like a wrong move; and the use of a Brechtian style of theatre had no real purpose and made it feel more like a student production than an RSC one. However, I can watch Patsy Ferran act all day without getting bored and the company, who are in rep, are just as fantastic in this as they were in Othello. It feels fantastic to see a production that focuses on Portia  rather than just on the anti- semitism and Shylock. The route Findlay has chosen for then relationship between Antonio and Bassanio, whilst an odd one, is justifiable and makes the final scenes bubble and come alive. Khoury is perfectly fine as Shylock,even if his story is brought back and Tim Samuels makes a decent stab at injecting some fun and dry humour into Lancelot Gobbo. The production as a whole is quite eerie and feels quite experimental so that, whilst it does have flaws, I came out not regretting my decision to see this daring and odd take on Shakespeare's troublesome play.

The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare's Globe ****

 The Merchant of Venice is a hard play to get right. Putting it mildly, it is problematic in issues of race and gender. It is a play full of contradictions. In one moment Shylock gives a truly moving speech about the poor treatment of Jews and the another he is being made to become a Christian as a hilarious punishment. At one point Portia is put up on a pedestal, a prize for suitors to win by picking the right box, and at another she is showing true strength and saving the friend of her husbands life. Whilst no production could nor should censor the antisemitism and sexism out of the play, the Globe's new production makes this a play about antisemitism rather that an antisemitic play due to a poignant and moving end to the show. The big selling point for this production are the Pryce father and daughter who are both excellent. However, to say that they steal the show would be wrong. Jonathan Pryce is moving and wonderful in the role but he never is the star and is instead part of a wonderful company of actors. The start depicts a world of debauchery with a display of anti Jewish sentiment that creates the atmosphere of the production which isn't totally maintained through the piece yet there are dark undercurrents that run through despite some wonderful comic turns from Christopher Logan and Stefan Adegbola. Britton's designs are, as always, brutal and harsh to accompany Jonathan Munby's subversion of Shakespeare's comedy into a tragic piece. Jules Maxwell's compositions reflect the religious aspects of the play well with bewitching singing, especially from Nuno Silva. This is a confident start to Dromgoole's last season at the Globe with a piece that is conveyed with humanity and sophistication along with the laughs along the way.

2014 So Far

This is just to get up to speed on everything I've seen in 2014. Will just write a pithy review for each.

Stephen Ward, Aldwych Theatre: 4/5
Lloyd Webber back to his best with outstanding performances from Hanson and Spencer with a fantastic show. Slightly less exciting second act and the brass section being played on a keyboard annoyed after a while but the quality of the songs and the singers singing them make up for it. Sad to see it go.

Alex Hanson and Charlotte Blackledge in Stephen Ward

Photo by Nobby Clarke

Mojo, Harold Pinter Theatre: 3/5
Great performances by the cast although I do feel sorry for Tom Rhys Harries who must have been bored to death backstage with only a few lines in act 2. It definately was not the laugh out loud comedy that the press claimed but was mildly amusing with a much more serious tone that really came through to me. It was a passable way to spend 140 minutes.

Colin Morgan in Mojo

Photo by Simon Annand

  
The Duchess of Malfi, Sam Wannamaker Playhouse: 5/5
I am a huge fan of the Globe and have seen countless performances over the years so am perhaps slightly biased towards the company but this new space is truly spectacular. The play itself is a masterpiece with the dissent into absolute chaos being a executed masterfully.Gemma Arteton is a great Duchess with her death being truly touching. Would have loved to have seen L' Ormindo there but this performance is something else.

Gemma Arteton, James Garnon and David Dawson in The Duchess of Malfi

Photo from The Express

La Boheme, Royal Albert Hall: 3/5
Puccini is a master at creating that sense of romance and intimacy through his music as well as the grand spectacles. However, both of these aspects were partially lost at opera in the round. The problem is that Act 1 and 4 did not convince me that these people were desperate for money, space and warmth in an exposed stage whilst Act 2 is so crowded you have to strain your eyes to see who is singing. The cast can sing remarkably well for what is ,to put it frankly, 'second- rate opera' and the orchestra sent shivers up my spine in Act 4 at Mimi's demise. This is quite a good performance overall but I would like to see how it compares to the Opera Houses' production in July.

The cast in La Boheme

Merchant of Venice schools production, Shakespeare's Globe: 4/5
It is rare to find cheap tickets and good theatre in London but the Globe manage to offer both. This event, primarily for students was offered to the public for free on two of the shows dates. This makes you think that the production is going to lack quality. However, this is not the case. A great interpretation which appeals to children whilst not being patronizing or compromising the piece. This is the perfect way to show students Shakespeare's work.

The cast of the Merchant of Venice

Copyright Ellie Kurttz

Twelve Angry Men,Garrick Theatre: 4/5
Robert Shaw put in a fantastic performance as juror 8. Whilst the accents occasionally wavered, I found this production to be compelling with a fantastic set. It is scary that I did not notice that the whole table revolved until three quarters of the way through the performance. An impressive performance.

The cast of Twelve Angry Men

Photo by Alaistair Muir

Versailles, Donmar Warehouse: 2/5
The problem with this play is that it has a rather irritating second act. The first and third act  is a reasonably insightful view of the effects of the First World War with an interesting take on relationships but is spoiled by a second act which has a whole section where the situation regarding where the coal would go was discussed. It just didn't capture my imagination enough to deserve any more than two stars.

Gwilym Lee and Tamla Kari in Versailles

Photo by Johan Persson

King Lear, National Theatre: 5/5
Trying to get a ticket to this show was painful but the show totally made up for it. Russell Beale is a sublime Lear with genuine menace. Scarborough's fool is really something else and the rest of the cast is equally first class. Gloucester's eye gouging seen is truly disturbing and the whole idea of a dictatorship reminiscant of Stalin's Soviet Union is expertly pulled of by Mendes and his team. There aren't enough superlatives that could describe this show. Shakespeare at its finest.

Adrian Scarborough and Stanley Townsend in King Lear

Photo by Mark Douet