Play – “The Merchant of Venice” presented by Dramatech
Venue: LTG Auditorium
Date: 5 December 2015

“To Bait Fish withal”, Shylock’s speech, is one of the oft heard during elocution contests. In fact its source, Shakespeare’s play “The Merchant of Venice” is perhaps his most read work. We had encountered this play during our English class in school and again in law school. Hence we jumped and grabbed the opportunity to see this being performed live last Saturday evening.

The theatre group Dramatech staged this all English play at LTG Auditorium. It started punctually at 7 and was over by 8.30 (no interval) thus leaving enough time for dinner.
The language was simplified, perhaps to make it more accessible to the masses. While most actors were trained, some of the characters, e.g., Shylock and Portia stood out. Given the lawlessness that we frequently encounter around us, the play had an instant connect with the audience.

Directed by Renu S. Chopra, this rendition of “The Merchant of Venice” was a decent weekend watch.