Details

Shylock is a proud and defiant man. But when he demands a severe debt to be repaid he becomes a victim of his own intransigence and most seriously, the prejudice of others. Set against a backdrop of the impending horrors of the Holocaust, on the borders of Cannaregio, in the district of San Polo is Prospero's Revue Bar, run by ?Madame' Gratiano, a place he and his cohorts call home. A den of iniquity where businessman, out for titillation, go to rub shoulders with the rag-tag flotsam and jetsam washed up along the ancient city's waterways: sailors, gun runners, prostitutes and transvestites account for some of the eccentric punters frequenting the bar. The audience will be treated to stand out entertainment that offers a provocative cocktail of drama, angst, love and betrayal, dramatically punctuated by Berlin Cabaret songs from the 1920s and 30s. Sung by Gratiano and his revue bar girlz and boyz. From Hollaender's haunting ?Sex Appeal' though Dietrech's seminal ?Boys in the Backroom' to Billing and Spoliansky's prophetic ?The Lavender Song', the songs will comment on and illuminate the action. Big frocks, big production numbers, lots of schmaltz, tits, teeth and cigarette holders are all part of this tongue tingling mix. This uniquely unconventional production, part of the ?RSC Open Stages' project, with acclaimed Shakespeare director Stuart Draper at the helm, promises to be a spellbinding extravaganza of high-energy, easily accessible, magical theatre, not to be missed.

Creatives/Company

Author: Shakespeare
Producer: South London Theatre (as part of the RSC Open Stages Project)
Director: Stuart Draper