Antonio borrows money from the cruel Shylock to help his friend Bassanio court the wealthy heiress, Portia, but there's a dreadful penalty if the loan is not repaid — a pound of Antonio’s own flesh. A brilliant comedy that calls forth some of Shakespeare’s most lyrical love poetry, The Merchant of Venice reaches a courtroom climax in which the opposing values of justice and mercy must be resolved. Performed by Hadyn Gwynne, Bill Nighy, and the Arkangel cast.
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Transforming any play into sound alone is a challenge, and one that is met by this Arkangel production of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, part of its series of dramatized recordings of Shakespeare's works. Like many of Shakespeare's comedies, MERCHANT is at its core a love story, but it is far more than that. The play is a controversial examination of justice, mercy, and prejudice. All the actors give strong performances, although it's somewhat difficult at times to distinguish between the voices of Bassanio and Antonio, played by Julian Rhind-Tutt and Bill Nighy. Trevor Peacock's portrayal of Shylock stands out among those of a solid cast. Peacock uses a sly voice for Shylock, saving his best for the comedy's climactic courtroom scene. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for learning diction,
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This review is from: The Merchant of Venice (Audio CD)
I listened to this for the diction more than anything. I was expressly interested in the Shylock scenes as part of my research into the character. Most of the scenes are good with decent energy level, but in others I was disappointed. If you want the experience of the performance this doesn't have that for you. If you're more interested in how Shakespeare's English is sounded out, this is an excellent tool.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Merchant of Venice Review,
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This review is from: The Merchant of Venice (Audio CD)
An excellent production. The voice of Shylock was well executed. I would DEFINITELY recommend this to any Literature teacher or parent with a child who finds it difficult to read Shakespeare.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Barely Adequate,
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This review is from: The Merchant of Venice (Audio CD)
Trevor Peacock's fine reading of Shylock saves this from complete mediocrity; the rest of the cast wavers between adequate and appalling. Bill Nighy's rendition of Antonio is in the latter category: how such an acclaimed actor can get away with this woeful performance makes me fear for the future of Shakespearean acting. He speaks his lines as if his mouth is full of treacle, constantly emphasizes the wrong words, and clearly doesn't understand what he is saying. Julian Rhind-Tutt as Bassanio is only marginally better; Haydn Gwynne as Portia is barely adequate; and Colin Salmon's desecration of the Moroccan Prince is laughable (as is Will Keen's desparate rendering of Gratiano). Sarah-Jane Holm's Jessica is the best of the supporting parts but it is Peacock's portrayal of Shylock that elevates this to the three-star rating. He's relatively understated, never over-acting or hamming it up, and he reads the lines with an assurance that the rest of the cast could have learned from.
Oh yes, and Dominique Le Gendre's music is as magical as ever.
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