Jo Baldwin watched at the Lowry Theatre, Manchester
Gareth Armstrong’s one-man play Shylock is a powerful meditation on the portrayal of Jews in theatre, presented through the eyes of Tubal, Shylock’s friend. The sparse staging and minimal use of props, including a box of Shylock’s costumes and a backdrop containing the word ‘Jew’ in several languages, allows the audience to focus on Tubal.
Actor Guy Masterson breathes tremendous energy and personality into the character. He engages the audience with a warm and conversational manner, peppered with bursts of intensity and dry observational humour. Tubal spoke just eight lines in The Merchant of Venice, but, as he cheerily reminds us, they are “very important lines!” Even the humorous moments contain a powerful message as Tubal pleads understanding for Shylock as a complex character, as opposed to a racial or religious caricature.
The hooked nose, wild hair and cunning eyes of anti-Semitic caricature might have originated on the Renaissance stage; later in the play, Masterson dons a large-nosed Venetian mask and unruly red wig to recite Shylock’s famous “Hath not a Jew eyes?” speech. Heart-stopping!
An unforgettable theatrical experience and testament to the art of the one-man show, Shylock is highly recommended not only for students and teachers of English but for viewers interested in Jewish history.
The tour continues.