Nathan the Wise

Synopsis

Set in Jerusalem at the time of the Third Crusade, Jews, Muslims and Christians struggle to live together. It is up to Nathan, respected for his wisdom and his wealth, to secure the peace. In a world where racism, discrimination and extremism continue to blight the lives of millions, the challenge of Nathan's appeal that 'We must be friends!' still has to be met.".

Our Review:

20 September 2005

The flames of religious intolerance don't so much blaze as smoulder in Nathan the Wise, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's 1779 fable about a benevolent Jew forging a revolutionary accord between a bigoted Christian knight and Jerusalem's wary Muslim leader.

Set in the Holy City in 1192 at the time of the Third Crusade, its exploration of multi-faith co-existence cannot help but strike a chord at a time when fundamentalism is the cause of so much strife in the world. Yet you never feel very much is at stake in Anthony Clark's leisurely production, which is as stately and unruffled as Michael Pennington's genial central performance.

From the Merchant of Venice subplot - cash-starved Sultan Saladin (Vincent Ebrahim) approaching wealthy businessman Nathan for a loan - to its Winter’s Tale-tinged resolution, Shakespeare is a constant presence in Clark's production. (So, alas, is pantomime, with Ebrahim resembling Ali Baba in his curved slippers ...

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Latest User Review

69.201.182.164) - 21 September 2005:

This play is a cross between a Shakespearean comedy and mind-blowing messages about a world (be it today or 500 hundred years ago) where racism - in its many forms - is rampant. It is a breath of fresh air compared with political plays that hit you over the head with their messages. You leave the thinking about international relations - and how problems can be solved peacefully rather than with violence. The actors - for the most part - are fantastic. I especially agree witht he WOS reviewer - Sam Troughton delivers a fiery multi-daceted Templar knight - and managed to make even the more ridiculous moments believeable. See this play if you can!:)...

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