The Merchant of Venice: RSC

This was my O level play and I've seen several productions of it over the years. Some go for modern dress, others for a historical setting. One approach doesn't necessarily yield better results than the other. It's all down to the interpretation. The new production at the RSC is curiously underpowered. Shylock barely raises his voice, in passion or anger, and in dress is almost indistinguishable (smarter perhaps) from the rest of Venice. The only real flicker of genuine emotion is his distress over the loss of his wife's ring, which makes a telling contrast with Bassanio and Gratiano subsequently giving away their rings. In a similar vein the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio is muted. There's very little sense of *why* Antonio is willing to risk so much for his friend. For a change Bassanio comes across as the more engaging character rather than merely as a rather selfish chancer. This is partly because of Antonio being equally low key. You can't imagine this man behaving towards Shylock in the anti-semitic manner of which he's accused. He doesn't seem to have the passion for it. In effect the heart of the play (rather than Antonio) has been removed. So, not one of the best versions of the play that I've seen unfortunately.