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It's impossible not to praise from the outset the magnificent set and staging of this production. Those moving platforms, the shimmering light, the grabbing music create a magic atmosphere from beginning to end. I can imagine that the total absence of props - except for the Court scene - probably made life harder for the performers, but I found this choice absolutely brilliant.
The stories of "fair Portia" and her (hilarious!) suitors on one side, and of "good Signor Antonio" - who soon finds himself in deep trouble simply for being too generous to his friend Bassanio - on the other intertwine without a single boring spell. The acting is so smooth and lively that I forgot after the first two lines that Shakespeare's verse is supposed to be tough… Even when the words occasionally sounded a bit too enigmatic for my foreign brain the way this of that performer delivered them managed to convey the right message.
The majority of the cast is amazingly young and yet so brilliant. Niamh Cusack's Portia is so sweet and clever - but never in an irritating way - it's not hard to understand why she was so surrounded by suitors! After all it's Portia the pivotal character of the play: she is the object of Bassanio's love, and the main cause of "the bond" between Antonio and Shylock. Niamh Cusack's performance is particularly striking in the Court scene: her "Doctor" is not ridiculously "macho", but on the contrary quite endearing. The scene where (s)he aknowledges the final sentence ("The Law allows it… The Court awards it…") with Antonio tied up to a chair on the left-hand side of the stage, in total distress, surrounded by his friends, and pitiless Shylock sitting on the other side - and sharpening his knife - is undoubtedly the climax of the play.
Another impressive female character is Jessica, Shylock's daughter, played by Alexandra Moen (she will also be Nina in The Seagull). Miss Moen made Jessica's character wondefully tender and frail, showing a maturity in her acting that one wouldn't expect from such a young performer. One cannot but wish her the most brilliant career.
I had read some mild criticism about Patrick Robinson's (Bassanio) performance, but honestly I couldn't find any major fault with him, although maybe a tiny bit more passion towards Portia would have been welcome.
On the contrary, Geoffrey Streatfeild was certainly a very boisterous Gratiano and it was all the more interesting to notice the contrast between the two. Last but not least among the young ones: Ed Stoppard as Lorenzo was a perfect match to sweet Jessica. I'm already looking forward to seeing him as Konstantin in The Seagull.
And now to the two "pièces de résistance", i.e. Shylock and Antonio. Desmond Barrit certainly had the stage presence needed to play the difficult role of "The Jew" and his thundering voice called for constant attention. Although he was very good in the quieter moments of his role too (the famous monologue in Act One, or the end of the Court scene), his Shylock was certainly more aggressive than, for example, Henry Goodman's (in Trevor Nunn's 1999 RNT production). I must confess that I was expecting a little bit more subtlety, some more sinister, devious glances from his character… but my slight disappointment was probably just due to my very personal idea of "Shylock the usurer".
Anyhow, Barrit's harshness as Shylock made the contrast between his character and "Signor Antonio" even more striking. PQ's Antonio is the quintessence of "the good man", noble and awe-inspiring. His relationship to Bassanio and his young friends is so heart-warming, you cannot but be on his side from the start. And even in his "Confrontations" with Shylock (the shadow of Javert looming in the distance…) he maintains a profound dignity. The Court scene is one of the strongest and "hardest to bear" I've ever experienced in a theatre performance. Even if I were to see the play dozens of times - which alas I won't - I will never stop feeling shivers down my spine all through that scene and freezing in terror at that crucial moment when Shylock is about to thrust his knife into Antonio's "bosom". At the risk of sounding blasphemous to someone, I couldn't avoid comparing Antonio to a Jesus Christ in modern clothes. The feeling of injustice for what was happening to him was so overwhelming, I felt like rushing to the Duke - who was sitting just a few inches away from me - and beg him to DO something!
Another of my favourite moments in this production was the very last scene, when Antonio is left standing alone centerstage. He mentally re-reads a letter which should have cheered him no end and which on the contrary does nothing but enhance his melancholy. And as the lights were dimming on him until it was totally dark I was already longing for the next chance to see this enthralling play.
