CineTreck 1: Sh*t-faced Shakespeare!

I would think Shakespeare himself would have enjoyed this production of his play, if he were alive. As a huge fan of Shakespeare myself, I was so excited to watch this production! I was not disappointed; the atmosphere around Leicester Square was wonderful along with the audience. The production concept itself was so innovative, I was surprised it hasn't been done before. Especially if we make note of some of Shakespeare's characters.

The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's comedies, therefore, the addition of a drunk cast member wasn't needed necessarily, it was a nice addition as an overall performance. Getting a cast member "sh*t-faced" before the play seems to matter more when one looks at the reactions of the spectacle. You see, ever since my appreciation for Shakespeare started, I have noticed something that contrasts with this play. When I went to see Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Old Globe in San Diego, the audience was quiet and respectful. As a first timer, I felt a bit uncomfortable because the silence was so overwhelming. In that moment, roles were clearly stated: we were the audience and they were the performers recreating one of the most tragic Shakespearean plays.

In Leicester's Square, the performance of The Merchant of Venice was a spectacle indeed. Not just in the performance itself, or their drunken production concept, but in the reactions from the audience. It wasn't just watching a performance. I would go so far to say it was an experience. The roles in this were not clearly stated. The performers were still performers, but the audience had a chance to react fully, and were not strictly distinguished as the audience; they were part of the performance as well.

In a way, this approach seemed to be more interactive, since everyone was part of the play. I really liked that they stuck with the Shakespearean language while experimenting with some improv at the same time. The addition of the monkey was very well done! When thinking of the play itself, there seems to be a lot of topics of antisemitism and it makes me wonder why plays like this seem to be popular no matter the century? One idea can be when Shakespeare became known for his work. Shakespeare not only wrote his plays, but sometimes he was among the cast, performing them. According to the BBC, Shakespeare was being talked about by the year 1592. The Merchant of Venice was complete by the year 1596-1599 (Wikipedia). Having in mind how long it would have taken to build the set, work on the production concept, gather an audience and a cast. With this in mind, one could consider the reason of Shakespeare's success in this play is related to the name he had made for himself at that time.

As a Shakespeare fan myself, even though I have never read The Merchant of Venice, I really enjoyed myself watching/being a part of this performance. I think this production concept resonates a little bit closer with the spectacle during Shakespeare's time.