The Merchant of Venice

In the shoes of one of Shakespeare's most discussed characters, Jimmy Chisholm is impressive; the ferocity of his Shylock is moving and, true to his nature, sheds no particular light on whether fiction's most famous Jew is a sympathetic figure or a racial caricature. Indeed, Mark Thompson's production of 'The Merhcant of Venice', which ignites the Lyceum's 2006/07 season, offers an affecting portrayal of old world commercialism.

Expert lighting gracefully transforms the metallic, multi-mirrored set from Portia's opulent palace to the sterile mercantilism of Venice's counting houses, and there are some strong performances, most notably from Liam Brennan as Bassanio, Neve McIntosh's Portia, and Mark McDonnel's wonderful comic turn as the goonish Lanelot Gobbo. But it's difficult to escape the fact that something is missing from this production; the strength of its supporting characters means that Chisholms' Shylock sometimes appears to fade into the background, and the play suffers for it. Furthermore, as is typical of many of Shakespeare's plays, the action drags on for too long, diluting an ending that should, by any accounts, be far more powerful and cathartic. [Yasmin Sulaiman]