This production of The Merchant of Venice is set in Victorian times, which rather works against the play in some part. The Victorians were far more subtle in their anti-Semitism than the Elizabethans and it just strikes a false note to see it so openly expressed before a Jew by these Victorian gentlemen.Much of the text is there, which is a relief as so many producers think they know better than Shakespeare how to put a play together, although Miller does omit some lines. For instance we don't hear Shylock loudly lamenting his daughter and his ducats, first with 'O my daughter' then 'O my ducats' and switching between the two with the ducats gradually winning out in this tussle between his losses. It's a marvelous moment and, apart from its comic qualities, is very revealing of the avarice at the heart of Shylock.I think Miller left it out because he didn't want people laughing at Shylock too much. But this is after all a comedy rather than a tragedy and it is owing to Shakespeare's genius that we can both laugh at and sympathize with Shylock at different moments of the play. In fact Miller inserts himself too much into this play, especially where Jessica, Shylock's daughter, is concerned. With no justification at all he shows her as becoming discontent with her match with Lorenzo, brooding and regretful. This darkens the close of the play unnecessarily.Miller should have let the play speak for itself without tromping through it in heavy boots to impose a modern sensibility on the actors. It's a shame because those actors are excellent in their roles. This could have been a far better production if Miller had just kept his ego in check a little, but he finds that difficult in most of his productions.It's worth seeing though, as almost every production of Shakespeare is. His words are there and that is really all that counts at the end of the day. BTW at one point Bassanio says to Portia, "Lady, you have bereft me of all words." I know it's the character speaking but for an instant the idea came to my mind of Shakespeare being bereft of words. It was like thinking of the sun not shining or water not being wet. An impossibility!

A chance to see Lord and Lady Olivier in a work of Shakespeare is never to be passed up. Laurence Olivier is the enigmatic Shylock whose interpretation has changed over the century and Joan Plowright whose hand all the young folk in Venice but one seems to want.Of course I came into watching The Merchant Of Venice expecting to see Laurence Oliver doing his patented mittel-Europa accent best known for use in The Boys From Brazil. Instead we got a most cultured Shylock not someone you'd otherwise might think of selling from a pushcart on the Lower East Side.I think Olivier did it this way because Shylock the money lender is trying his best to assimilate into Venetian society as far as he can and still be true to his culture. He only goes so far, daughter Jessica would sooner convert and marry Lorenzo who really is a fortune hunting snake. They are played by Louise Purnell and Malcolm Reid.The main plot however revolves around young Basanio who is Jeremy Brett looking to marry Portia who is the wealthiest young woman around and she's got many suitors. Brett's a nice kid but kind of a spendthrift with his money. He's got an old indulgent friend in Antonio played by Anthony Nicholls who is both a merchant and a moneylender as well in competition with Shylock. He charges a lot less interest and undercuts him in business. That gives Nicholls a lot of pleasure because he doesn't like Jews at all, he's one proud anti-Semite.So Brett needs a backer and Nicholls would like to, but as we would say today he's got a cash flow problem as all his money is tied up with goods at sea in his mercantile business. For past and present slights. Olivier names as his collateral a pound of Nicholls's flesh.For those who've never seen the play these disputes are arbitrated by the Duke Of Venice. And the Duke who is Benjamin Wittrow has a novel interpretation.Over the years as anti-Semitism has become more odious Shylock has become a more sympathetic figure. For centuries he was given the crooked nose, the funny way of speaking and was considered the blackest of villains who gets his in the end. As I said before Shylock is in fact trying to assimilate as best he can, but the people's prejudices are smug and self serving. And his is a natural reaction of a father who doesn't like his daughter's choice of a husband. After all she's marrying a Shegetz in his culture.Even if you're not liking how Olivier sees Shylock he certainly is always interesting and to watch. As this well cast ensemble doing The Merchant Of Venice.

Easy-to-follow MERCHANT OF VENICE, though the Maggie Smith version is even more accessible. But whereas the Smith version is more contemporary to Shakespeare's times, this version, with the great Laurence Olivier, is in Victorian dress.The acting is generally good, from Jeremy Brett ("Sherlock Holmes"), Denis Lawson ("Star Wars"). The big surprise here is Michael Jayston ("Nicholas and Alexandra"). Usually consigned stiff, priggish characters, Jayston does an excellent job with Gratiano, this play's Mercutio.A few disappointments. Joan Plowright (Mrs. Laurence Olivier) is a superb Shakespearean actor. But she's not pretty enough for Portia. Of course, Portia is rich, so maybe that's okay. In fact, her looks are so mannish she is able to pull off her lawyer role well, just as she was able to play a boy and a girl alike in "Twelfth Night" (1969).The big disappointment in this play is Laurence Olivier. He might as well have brought a knife and fork with him to chew the scenery.I don't know why director Jonathan Miller chose the Victorian era for the setting, but it works extremely well (far better than his "Mikado" where he changes its venue from Japan to Victorian England, thereby missing the whole point of Gilbert and Sullivan's keen satire).Unfortunately, most recent versions have missed a big point about this play. MERCHANT is one of Shakespeare's best, but the fact that Shylock is Jewish usually means he has to be treated more sympathetically in post-World War II times.What's usually missed, as it is in this version, is that the play is called THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, who is Antonio. And the chief antagonism in the play is between Antonio and Shylock, who hate each other.SPOILER: As with most versions, Portia's "Quality of mercy" speech seems to go for naught. But in reality, while she is addressing Shylock, who will have his pound of flesh by the letter of the law, the person affected is Antonio. It seems insensitive to today's anti-Christian crowd who have the same general attitude toward Christians as the Jacobeans had for Jews, but Portia's speech, aimed at Shylock, actually struck the heart of Antonio, the Merchant, who had a change of heart. Once spitting on Shylock's "Jewish gabardine" (whether meant metaphorically or actually), he insists at the end that Shylock become a Christian. Rather than hating Shylock, Antonio now has such mercy for him he wants to be in Heaven with Shylock, eating at the Supper of the Lamb when Shylock rudely refused to eat with Antonio's like on earth.Just as director Miller missed the point about "The Mikado" he misses the entire point of the play, which is Antonio's conversion to mercy. So at the end Shylcok his hauled off to the baptismal font and he makes such a lot of off-stage noise they might be torturing him, and everyone looks after him rather guiltily. Even Antonio the merchant, who believes he's done Shylock a great service.And I have no idea what's wrong with Jessica at the end. But she always was a silly bitch, who treated her father badly.Overall, this is a good version of MERCHANT, though Portia's suitors all horribly overact, even the usually remarkably restrained Charles Kay. They all make the Belmont scenes hard to endure.

Olivier's Shylock is a wonderful characterization, painful to watch (as it should be) at times, but the show belongs to Joan Plowright as Portia. She is the consummate lady, at times abstracted or petulant (did her wise old father perhaps spoil her a bit?) but always magnetic. Jeremy "Freddy Eynsford-Hill" Brett is a sweet young Bassanio (how did he grow up to be Sherlock Holmes?) and Anna Carteret a smooth, smiling Nerissa, and Miller does interesting things with Jessica and Lorenzo in Act Five. My one quibble is with Anthony Nicholls as Antonio. He and Shylock go around like white-haired doppelgangers in black top hats and cloaks, which is a nice touch, but he himself is just *there*. We don't know what Bassanio sees in him, what he sees in Bassanio, why he hates Shylock so much, why Shylock would bother to hate him, if he's at all distressed at the prospect of forfeiting his bond or concerned about his ships. The suitors mug rather and the singing ladies in the final casket scene are somewhat painful, but it's a creditable job overall.