The Merchant of Venice – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London

Writer: William Shakespeare

Director: Abigail Graham

Opening with a passage where the word “Jew” is turned into a frathouse drinking game, Abigail Graham wants her audience to be in no doubt about her willingness to make people uncomfortable.

In fairness, there’s a warning on the website and on the pre-show welcome email. Still, however, it’s jarring to be confronted with it head on. So, Graham admirably achieves her aim. Even pre-warned that this production of a troubling and controversial play seeks to highlight and contemporise its anti-semitism, and includes new elements of anti-black racism, it still at times shocking and arresting. With an ambition to show an audience that this 16thC play and its themes of power imbalance are disturbingly relevant today, it faces a temptation to over-do it and must balance the ambition with the story itself. The main thing a production like this needs is to prove its purpose beyond provocation – which it struggles to do at times before finally settling just on the right side of the ledger.

The narrative that hosts these messages and themes is familiar. The moneylender Shylock is convinced to lend cash to Antonio. After enduring Antonio’s abuse for this willingness to lend, Shylock sets the price of default on the loan at a pound of flesh. The inevitable happens and Antonio is unable to pay. The lender seeks this corporal slice in court (partly as revenge for general mistreatment, partly due to his mental unravelling after his daughter’s elopement) though is thwarted by Portia, the new wife of Antonio’s friend. In the guise of a barrister, she proves he is entitled to flesh but not blood, and attacks him with a range of threats and humiliations in the court. He leaves; the Christians have worked together effectively together to thoroughly defeat the Jew.

The presentation is chaotic at times, with forceful points being jabbed our way repeatedly, some newly highlighted, some famously striking in the play itself: The sexism inherent in Portia’s position as a gameshow prize for whatever suitor picks the right box; The laddish, privileged and entitled behaviour of the peacocking Bassanio, Gratiano and their friends. The racism in the relationships between the white and non white characters and the general disdain of the privileged few for those who are not other white men. It creates a perfect air of discontent, something is clearly wrong, but it muddles the chance of a central argument emerging.

Making these points heard is a superb, charismatic and highly effective cast. As Shylock, Adrian Schiller is absorbing, charting the man’s struggle and conversion against his will to a vengeful and bitter wreck. Sophie Melville as Portia is the counterpoint to this descent, a bright and intelligent, ambitious and calculating woman with her own clear problems with how she treats others. They’re backed with a quirky but effective score provided by Zac Givi and a minimalist set that makes use of the Wanamaker’s gorgeous stage and candlelight.

The chaotic storytelling, and the fine performances come to an end some time before Shakespeare originally intended. After Shylock leaves the court in abjection, we experience a powerful moment of disruption, and a reclamation of the stage by those who have been marginalised and misrepresented throughout with Shylock’s daughter Jessica (Eleanor Wyld) taking over to drown out Portia and Bassanio’s prattling. A beautiful ending that tries to resolve what we’ve seen and focus its power to a point. The force has been dissipated too much by this stage to be particularly sharp, sadly. While the production doesn’t quite answer a lot of the challenges it makes, it creates an engaging and thoughtful journey in the attempt.

Runs until 9 April 2022