The school is said to be one of the world’s most rigorous, scrupulous and ambitious institutions of Actor training! The London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA) floods in an impressive number of applicants in each year. With a limited course intake of only as few as 30 people, there is no doubt about it; I was eager and enthusiastic to arrive at the school’s Sainsbury Theatre, Located in Barons Court. Walking into the box office, I was immediately attracted to the many headshots and CV’s that consumed the Theatre. I knew that their graduate show, ‘The Merchant of Venice’ directed by Art Director of Kandinsky Theatre company, James Yeatman was something not to be missed!

This ‘Tragicomedy’ classic of William Shakespeare exposes ideas of love, justice and true wealth. Shylock, a Jew living in the Rialto who is thought by some to be a victim and argued by others to be a villain, demands a pound of flesh over a deadly bond with Antonio. Antonio bounds his flesh to Shylock as a forfeit to failing to pay his loan back. how deep will the Venetian society glare their eyes into the fate of prominent merchant, Antonio? What will happen as Antonio has bound his life to Shylock for his friend’s pursuit of love?

My initial reaction was “woah, things are about to get really, really, real”.

Yeatman’s brave venturesome decision to create a Brechtian style performance, splintering the theatrical boundaries, creates a more intimate actor/audience relationship.

As I walked into the performance space, I saw the actors preparing through various vocal warm-ups and group massage therapy as they began dressing into their boldly amusing costumes. As the lights came down, the stakes immediately rose. You can capture how the actors have explored their timeless characters of the 1590’s — to create a twisted version settled within modern-day society. The play had wonderful elements of believable performance.

However, having watched countless Shakespeare productions in the RSC, this production was something I found hard to grasp and makes sense of at times, perhaps this was due to the overuse of symbolism the director implemented. I thought that at times they were using style or techniques with no clear meaning behind them. Overall, I found there were moments of confusion within the style.

The performance history of the play has been largely dominated by the character Shylock. The directors diverse and disparate choice to cast Shylock as a female has not been done before to my knowledge. Played by US graduate Amelia Corrada, she thoughtfully infused the audience with Shylocks journey of humbleness, resentment and outright monstrosity. She did a marvellous job in managing to convey the acclaimed debate as to whether shylock is a victim or villain. I for one felt that Amelia plays shylock as a normal man with a black heart and twisted morals.

I was especially fond of the productions creative team. They constructed an innovative and mind-boggling set that made you question (in a good way!) almost everything. The lighting designer was slick to the tee; with smooth transitions, scenes were saturated with thoughtful colours and visuals to aid the intensity of moments.
The director’s choice in costume and props cleverly highlights the themes of gender, identity and religion. In addition, Yeatman masters his attention to detail on proximity and levels which work hand in hand with the set design, to present us with characters of power and status.

Overall, LAMDA’s Merchant of Venice was a play like something I had never seen before. It was a contemporary extravaganza where you could clearly see the work and commitment gone into the Actors. An easy-to-read guide of Shakespeare.
On the other hand, I did find myself out of touch at times, as the sheer context of the play was drowned in too many experimental choices by the director.
If experimental, fringe and an off-west end is your cup of tea I definitely recommend! If your someone who is interested in applying or studying as an Actor at Drama School, this play amongst the other season of graduate shows would be a great taste to see what a school might offer you. If you’ve seen the merchant of Venice before, expect the unexpected and be open to new ideas!