A post from one of our keen members,
Peter Medd, on one of Shakespeare’s most intriguing characters.
In 2016, I heard an ABC interview of
Warren Mitchell by Margaret Throsby — about a year after Mitchell’s death. It
was a re-broadcast, first recorded in 2001 during one of Mitchell’s many
Australian visits. (He had dual British and Australian citizenship.) The
interview was amazing, of course, covering Mitchell’s extensive acting career
and other skills. (He was a good clarinet player!) Sadly, he could also tell the most
appalling anti-Semitic jokes.
The interview caused me to want to
watch The Merchant of Venice,
recorded by the BBC in 1980, and starring Mitchell as Shylock with John Nettles
(Midsomer Murders) as Antonio. In viewing earlier performances of Shakespeare’s
plays, it always surprises me how many modern day actors started or at least
helped their careers by performing in Shakespeare. For example, in a BBC (2004)
version of The Merchant of Venice, I
saw in the crowd a very young Kris Marshall as Gratiano. (Marshall was recently
in the BBC series Death in Paradise.)
I would have liked to see the role of Shylock played by
an orthodox Jew, but I haven’t tracked down any recent ones. However, Jacob
Adler (1855-1926) was noted for his sympathetic rendering of
the character.
Wikipedia turned up this
photo of Adler as Shylock in a late 19th century performance of The Merchant of Venice.
(Credit: Byron
Company (photographer) - Folger Shakespeare
Library Digital Image Collection http://luna.folger.edu/luna/servlet/s/y194rs )
