19:45, Tue 23rd – Sat 27th February 2010 at ADC Theatre
14:30, Sat 27th February 2010 at ADC Theatre
Lent Week 6

Venice: a city of romance and hedonism, where Jews are confined to the world’s first ghetto.

The late 1930s: a time of renewal and growth, while the storm clouds gather over Europe.

This imaginative production boldly sets the action of Shakespeare’s most complex comedy in Mussolini’s Italy. The young Venetians, unaware of the perils ahead, seek romance and revelry, while in Belmont the bored and intelligent Portia awaits a suitor worthy enough to free her from confinement. But the spited moneylender Shylock is pursuing revenge: the scene is set for a gripping finale.

This thoughtful, atmospheric and powerful production of Shakespeare's most controversial play will revel in the headiness of youth and his sparkling wit, while not shying away from the demands of one of his most romantic, tense and compelling plays.