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Why did these production elements stand out to you?

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How do the characters you have chosen from the stage production differ from your reading of them in the text?

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The question should be designed to engage others in a discussion around the stage production.

For example: Discuss why you believe the Royal Shakespeare Company used more modern costumes for their stage production of 'The Merchant of Venice'.

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The costumes were quite modern and they helped convey the characters in a way we can understand. The staging was simple and minimalist which allowed for us to focus more on how the actors conveyed the scene and how they interacted with each other. The 3 caskets being hung from the ceiling allowed for quick scene changes which adds to the flow of the show.

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Costumes were casual for poor people and fancy for wealthier people.
Lighting seemed to remain in the centre of the stage and actors moved around to suit.
Small performances took place in between, possibly to give the audience a break.

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I found it quite interesting how they depicted Nerissa in the play in comparison with Portia. I initially interpreted Nerissa as the weaker one in the friendship but in the play we see that they are either equal or Nerissa is slightly more opinionated.

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Why do you think RSC decided to have Gobbo begin his scene in the audience?

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Bassanio was originally a straight man who loved Portia but in this play he has a romantic affair with Antonio.
Due to this Portia's character is also slightly changed as she is jealous and feels betrayed when she sees Antonio and Bassanio kiss.

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I noticed that whenever a character was talking, they were spotlighted. This interested me because I thought that it would be much more casual and low beat instead of being more focused on one character. I also noticed how the characters dressed, as they were wearing more formal clothes such as formal shoes, pants, and waistcoats. This interested me because I thought that they would wear more traditional clothing. Another thing I noticed was the use of comedy, as it was a mixture of 20th century humor along with 16th century humor aswell.

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Why isn't Shylock depicted as a stronger character when he actually has a lot of power in his hands?(Before tables turn on him)

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What was the reason behind the exaggerated emotions displayed by the characters?

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-The setup of the stage, it was a lot more open than what I'm used to, this was good because it sort of allowed me to observe the play more carefully than if it was set up on a normal stage.
-The simplicity of the costumes, despite some characters having giant coats and caps, most of the costume would fit even if it was worn on the streets today.
-The interactions between the actors and the lighting, it felt very magical in a play that was meant to be fairly realistic.

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1. I found that the costumes helped to clearly outline the roles of each character, and made it obvious to the audience who each person was.

2. There weren't many props or settings is used in the play, so I often wasn't sure where some of the scenes were taking place.

3. Lighting was very effective in giving a sense of time in this play. It was quite easy to tell when events were taking place.

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The three stage elements that stood out to me were the characters, costumes and stage setting. As I watched the production I noticed that some actors played multiple characters. For example, the actor who played Gratiano also played The Prince of Morocco. This caught my attention because it allowed the actor to portray a wider range of acting skills and demonstrated that they possess the ability to portray different characters without blending them. I also noticed that the costumes were quite modern. This caught my attention because it made the character more relatable to the modern era and allowed me to better relate with them. The RSC also used a simple setting for the production. I feel that this allowed the audience to focus more on the characters and their acting rather than getting distracted or caught up in the background.

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I felt like Shylock was more interested in loaning the money in the movie version, rather than in the written version, because I could actually see him express his feelings of the loan to Antonio and Bassanio.

Another character I felt was depicted in a different way than I expected was Bassanio, as I thought he would be more "Royal" in a sense, in the movie, because that was how I pictured him in the written piece.

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There were different costumes for different people to highlight their characteristics and roles
There was suspenseful music which made the play more exciting
The use of lighting allowed us as an audience to focus on the scenes better

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Throughout, the play the lighting on the stage often varies depending on the setting and the environment. In more solemn and serious scenes, the lighting is dimmer and muted, in funny scenes and at night the lights are lowered or turned off altogether.
Furthermore, costume changes may flow along with the storyline, but they also indicate changes in the characters.
The music also helps to build suspense and indicate the atmosphere of the scene.

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What compelled the RSC to have a large focus on the characteristics and growth of the characters?

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I was surprised at how modern the clothes were- the contempory costumes gave the audience context into characters and scenes, which would have been difficult to convey through traditional costuming, where the context of each costume isn't automatically clear.

The use of geometric staging elements, such as the sphere in the background and the uniform plates that made up the stage and backwall created a very uniform and clean set- it contrasted heavily with the organic movements of the actors.

Very few props were used, rather lighting was played with to set the stage, and the actors made use of the space to ensure the stage didn't feel empty. With a clean set, all attention was drawn towards the actors.

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In the original text, Antonio is depicted as a melancholy merchant who has a deep relationship with Bassanio. The cause of his sadness is never revealed, which is reflected in both versions of the play.

Based off Shakespeare's text, I envisioned Laucelot to be a much more serious character, with his private musings and pessimistic views on Jessica's conversion . However, the RSC turned him into comic relief, which was quite a surprise for me.

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Three production elements that I noticed were the costumes, music and the lighting. The costumes were more modern than I expected as the traditional costumes were depicted as colourful robes, cloaks and hats. The music was also interesting as it was sung by children and the performers rather than being played through a speaker. The lighting was used quite well to shift the audience's focus on the speaker or scene, and also made the stage completely dark at the end of a reason.

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An interesting stage element was how the different people with different wealth dressed. Bassanio was dressed in casual while Antonio wore fancy clothing.

Another was the props used. The 3 caskets hanging down quickly changed the show to another scene.

The use of lighting helped the audiences understand the scenes better and know who it's focused on.

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Unlike, other characters in the interpretation of the play and in the original text, Antonio is consistently portrayed as loyal but cowardly. The actor displays himself as weak, yet still willing to sacrifice himself for Bassanio.
However, Shylock in the Royal Shakespeare Company's perspective is more upbeat and in accordance with the comedic theme of the play.

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Why was the play more focused one character (Spotlighted) while there were several other characters in the same scene?

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1. The consistent lighting in the center allowed the attention to be drawn to the characters and to what was happening.
2. The modernization of this play was shown through the costumes, as they were given clothes that are commonly worn nowadays.
3. The lack of props in the set also allowed there to be a quick change of scenes throughout this play.

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How did they coordinate some of the scenes such as Bassanio and Antonio kissing? What do the actors do in order to be comfortable doing that on stage? (not trying to be inappropriate)

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The emptiness of the set interested me because it's a professional production yet it was done with minimal lighting and props. This meant however the actors were able to move around much more and they made good use of the space they had.
The costumes were much less impressive than what I had imagined while reading the text. I expected the clothing to be relevant to Shakespeare's time and for Portia especially to be wearing something richer. Instead the clothing was plain and modern.
The lighting also interested me because the whole time the set was quite dim and the light moved with whoever was speaking, which I think is a clever way to draw the attention of the audience.

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Why did this specific live performance focus on comedy rather than other more serious themes?

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Was the iron ball hanging in the background symbolic of anything?

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Shylock has always been portrayed as a somewhat polite character, until the point people cheat on him or something doesn't go against his plan. I love how he is pictured as very unorthodox.

Portia felt like a very strong and independent person who holds a lot of ideas and isn't afraid to express them.

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One character I thought that was depicted differently in the production was Shylock. I initially thought that Shylock would come off as more cunning and serious when I read the original text. As I watched the production, I felt that the character was trying to come off as an innocent old man. Especially at the start when he was talking about the bond with Bassanio and Antonio, I felt that the lines that made him sound cunning and sly were delivered a bit too happily.

Another character is Nerissa. I thought that she would have less presence or impact than in the production. Initially, I thought that she was just Portia's servant but the production captures their friendship and sheds light on it, giving her more purpose. I also thought that she would be a softer character in the way she talked and acted but in the production, she was quite energetic and animated.

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1) There weren't many props used throughout the play but one that drew my interest was the steel ball. What interested me was how it constantly remained in the background throughout the play, emphasis on it only being brought when Nerissa pushed it.

2) Another element that drew my interest would be the costumes. Each costume was unique to a certain character and portrayed them. For example, in one scene Shylock and Antonio and wearing large waistcoats relating to their standing in Venice as prominent moneylenders.

3) Lighting played an important role in the play, spotlighting the character who was speaking and creating darkness around them.

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The characters' costumes appeared much more modern than what people during Shakespeare's time would have worn. The set of the play appeared very minimal and glossy, a feature that was also not prominent during Shakespeare's time, so clearly the Royal Shakespeare Company was not attempting for visual historical accuracy. A prop that drew my interest was the polished sphere that was constantly swinging in the background of the set. It caught my attention because of how odd and out of place it seemed to me. It most likely symbolized something that I did not understand.

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In the book, Bassanio and Antonio love each other as dear friends, but the show portrays the more love they have for each other.

Based on the book, I expected Shylock to look young and be cruel-hearted. However, in the play, Shylock acted like he was the innocent victim.

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Shylock seems to be more upbeat with a more comedic character in the RSC play, contrasting to my thoughts of him being more of a solemn character.
Antonio is continuously represented as sad and loyal, and the play underlines his romantic relationship with Bassanio.

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In the original text, I depicted Shylock to be a greedy man full of revenge and hatred towards Antonio. I felt as though he was a serious, straight-forward man, so I was surprised seeing him as joyful/full of emotion as he was in the play.

Another character I saw differently was Bassanio. I always felt like Antonio's loyalty towards him could've been love, but never thought that Bassanio could reciprocate those feelings, so I was confused seeing them kiss.

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In the original text, it is evident that Antonio is sad, but in the performance Antonio is depicted as much sadder than he seemed in the original text because of his expression, the way he spoke and gestures.

Shylock in the original text is depicted as angry at Antonio and hateful towards Christians. This is very similar to the performance depiction of Shylock, as his expressions and gestures display that he indeed despises Christians.

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Why did RSC decide to make actors perform very seriously to express their emotions such as kissing and spitting at Shylock?

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Why was there a lack of setting with this particular depiction of the play?

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Reading the text, I interpreted Antonio to be calmer and a more controlled character. In the RSC production, I think it was clear that every decision he made was determined by his emotions. All of his feelings in the text were amplified in the production, especially his feelings toward Bassanio.
I also thought Bassanio was more interested in Portia than he was Antonio. While watching I got the impression that the sole reason he wanted to marry Portia was because she was rich.

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One of the elements that interested me were the costumes, which seemed to be a representation of each character's unique personality. For example, Antonio wears plain, dull clothing which reflects his inner sadness throughout the play, whereas Gratiano wears bright clothing that shows his contrasting energetic and joyful personality. I also found it interesting how this play didn't have many props, making majority of the space on stage empty. This caused the audience to focus on the actors and their actions rather than any fancy props or sets, and actors were able to move more freely. Lastly, the lighting was rather consistent throughout the play. It allowed the set to have the same atmosphere and vibe throughout the entire performance.

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Shylock: RSL depicted Shylock quite well capturing his greed as well his hate towards Christians perfectly. Along with this, the play also did a good job showing how deep Shylock's hatred for Antonio goes, Shylock being excited at the prospect of taking a pound of Antonio's flesh and therefore killing him. One thing that I believe set them apart was my personal interpretation of the character, as I thought of Shylock as somebody more serious as opposed to the passionate version RSL showed the audience.

Bassanio: Bassanio was portrayed the way I imagined him to be like when I read the original, but his relationship with Antonio was not something I expected. I saw the closeness shown in the original was depicted well in RSL's version, however in my mind Bassanio only had eyes for Portia and I never expected the romantic turn Antonio and Bassanio's relationship took.

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1- The costumes were extremely helpful in outlining what the characters were in the social hierarchy, and what they were doing. 2- However, the lack of props and the rather eerie setting was making it a bit hard to understand where these events were taking place.
3-The small amount of modern language used at times,  effective body language, and tone in their voice made it a lot easier to understand what the characters were saying.

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What was the purpose of the scene where all of the characters came on stage and changed clothes. What was the RSC trying to achieve?

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The stage is quite interactive with the audience as it's rather small enabling the audience to sit in front and beside the stage. The lighting was generally dark or more so dull but when focused on a specific character they were illuminated. Props like the metal ball helped add more meaning and concept to the play.

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Bassiano was one of the characters that was changed in the play. I'd always imagined him being a posh , noble dude, likely becuase of shakespeare's hard to understand language,

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The three elements that stood out to me were, the large ball swinging in the background, the tile stage, the choir children at the top of the stage curtain. The most intriguing being the large ball swinging in the back ground, this is because there was no necessary purpose of the ball. Each scene would pass and I kept thinking, ok they are going to tell us what it is for. So I thought that was interesting, and the same with the tile floor of the stage. Usually stages are made of wood of some sort, so it was cool to see a tile stage. It gave more to the modern theme of setting of the play. Thirdly it was very cool when during the small signing scenes, how the choir children were visible at the top of the very tall stage curtains at the back. Since the song numbers were all very harmonic and had a heavenly feel, the children at the top gave the songs a more ethereal feel.

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Bassanio in Shakespeare's original version was an upright, straight forward character- in the Royal Shakespeare Company's adaptation, Bassanio is passionate and looks to Antonio as a romantic partner, despite the original text pairing Bassanio and Portia together.

In the original script, Shylock gave off a sly impression, in stark contrast to his comedic, upbeat character in the RSC's interpretation. Shylock speaks brightly with a broad smile, contrasting the solemn air of his written original character.

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1. The set is quite minimalistic with limited use of props. The RSC aims to shift the audiences attention from the background and setting to the characteristic developments and relationships instead. The RSC's decision to make this a more minimalistic stage is very interesting and demonstrates that even though "The Merchant of Venice" was a play written hundreds of years ago, it still has contemporary implications. For example in the casket selecting scene the only props present are the three caskets. There is no fancy backdrop or other props that could indicate the setting, which shifts the attention solely onto the caskets.
2. The costumes are also interesting seeing as they use modern costumes to not only add a sense of humour to the play but also emphasise the significance of each character to society nowadays.
3. Additionally the use of lighting was very interesting. They use a lot of contrast between dark and light which could possibly imply the complexity of human nature in certain scenes. For example in the scene where Jessica is talking to Launcelot before she runs away the top half of her is light while the bottom is dark. This shows the complexity and inner conflict within her to betray her father and run away.

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1. Antonio
In the original Shakespeare written play Antonio seems like a more upright and strong protagonist. Yet the modern version depicts Antonio as a weaker and more wimpy character. The RSC does this to imply that Antonito should be partially responsible for the dilemma he is involved in.  His recklessness for agreeing to the bond gets him into the difficult situation where he is forced into a weaker position. Yet the original play focuses more so on Shylock's brutality and greed rather than Antonio's actions.

2. Nerissa
In the original text Nerissa also seems like a less vocal character that is mainly supporting Portia through the process of her finding the right suitor. Yet in the modern version by the RSC she is more outspoken and active which demonstrates the need of support for the main heroine (Portia) to stand out. In the modern version she also serves as somewhat of a comedic relief seeing as she is so vocal and passionate.

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What does the hanging silver/ metal ball in the background of the play symbolise and why does it only appear at certain times?

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Two of the characters that really I thought were going to be different in the movie, were Shylock and Antonio. I expected Shylock to be more assertive and more respected, but it was the opposite as he was taunted for being Jewish so many times and not one of the characters, including his own daughter respected him. I also thought that Antonio would be happier than he was in the movie. He was always upset, worried or stressed about something.

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What was the point of the big swinging ball in the background?

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Were costumes sourced as part of a wardrobe or did the company have each actor bring in their own clothes for a more personal take?

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Did that silver ball represent the Iambic Pentameter or something similar? And why was it started up not at the start of the play, but a little bit after it?

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is Shylock a villian, a victim or some sort of combination of both?

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Shylock: in the book i thought shylock was in a sense kinder and younger, but when i watched the movie the character is played by an older man and he is portrayed in a more greedy way whose mostly interested in money and his daughter.

Antonio: in the book, i thought Antonio would be a more controlled and serene character but when i was watching the play it was evident that he was quite sensitive and his emotions constantly affected his decisions.

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Bassanio is portrayed much differently to his character in Shakespeare's original text. In the play, he has an intense, romantic love for Antonio, whereas in the original text, it is not explicitly stated, or even hinted, that he has romantic feelings for Antonio. His love is expressed in a more passionate and extreme way in the play.
Another character that was depicted differently was Shylock. In the original text, Shylock seemed to be a very sly, cunning and evil merchant. However, in the play, he is shown as an innocent man who simply wants justice, and viewers almost feel sorry for him as he is spat on and insulted.

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Why were there only a small number of props in this depiction of the text? How did this empty space benefit the performance?

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Shylock in the play was portrayed as much more joyful in speaking and actions than I had thought he had appeared as in Shakespeare's original text, as stern and unfeeling. Bassanio and Antonio also appear to act much more romantically together in the play than they did in the original text, where they didn't seem to at all, which I find very interesting.

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in the play portrayed there were many/ several elements which drew my attention, most of which may not have been replicated in shakespears original play.
- the first thing that i noticed was the pendulum. behind the performance a large pendulum was swinging and it could be seen that it continued to swing throughout the play where at times the characters continued to push it to maintain its momentum.
- another thing that i noticed was the modernity of the actors. the costumes in which the characters wore were extremely modern and there was an avid representation of diversity where people of all colours and all types contributed to the play
- finally the stage layout. rather than the play being more 'traditional' filled with props and decorations the stage was infact quite empty. this infact was beneficial due to the fact that it did not distract the audience's attention from the acting presented. the minimalism of the props could have echoed from the modernity of the play.

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2 characters that contrasted from the original text were bassanio and antonio. in the original text there had been no mention of bassanio or antonio kissing however in the play bassanio and antonio did kiss very prominently. i continued to ask myself why they wouldve kissed so i came to a vague conclusion that it represented/ it was the directors interpratation of both characters that their bond may have run beyond friendship.

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why did the RSC portray the play in a modern manner when they could've had mimiced the play as the original production?