Bassinio, a spendthrift Venetian, borrows a large sum of money fom Shylock, a Jew, (a moneylender, much abused by those who make use of him), to enable him to court a rich heiress, Portia, living in Belmont (bot far from Venice). He pursuades his friend Antoniom a rich merchant, to stand surety fro him, but the document which Antonio signs – ‘a merrie bond’ – binds him to forfeit a pound of his felsh should he fail to repay the money on time. Bassinio goes to Belmont to try to win Portia (by a peculia kind of guessing game): while he is there Antonio hears that the ships in which his fortune is tied up have all foundered, and he cannot repay Shylock his money – now, as they used to say in romantic serials, read on…
Cast and crew
Director
Philip GazeCast
Antonio - Matthew RobertsonSalerio - Colin Cheyne
Solanio - Tony Bamford
Bassanio - Richard Mercier
Gratiano - Owen Rooney
Portia - Marilyn Parker
Nerissa - Julia Smith
Balthazar - Andrew Wooding
Shylock - Frank Grayson
The Prince of Morocco - Keith Harrison
Launcelot Gobbo - Ray Stone
Old Gobbo - John Dawson
Leonardo - Richard Hannah
Jessica - Gay Cusack
Lorenzo - Geoffrey Miles
Thge Pronce of Arragon - Jack Dodd
Tubal - Tim Brewster
Singer - Mary Aston
Attendants - Martin Smith
Attendants - Keith Morris
Attendants - Howard Morris
Crew
Stage Manager - Graeme SmithSet design and building - Frank Grayson
Costumes - Jean Jackson
Costumes - Bonnie Hampton
Costumes - Gwen Wales
Lighting - William Gaze
Sound - Christopher Masters
Prompt - Louise Green
Production Secretary - Mary Greet
Properties - Barbara McMechan
Properties - Elizabeth Hunter
Properties - Tania Illingworth
Poster - Frank Grayson
Programme design - Suzanne Palmer
Music arranged by - Ian Thompson