First Encounters: The Merchant of Venice

‘The world is still deceived by ornament’ Venice is a multi-cultural melting pot and the trading centre of the world, a place where everything has a value. High stakes are placed on beauty and choices are made on appearance rather than reality. But when one of three boxes holds all you’ve ever wanted, should you really decide on looks alone?

First Encounters with Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice is a new production specially created for 7-13 year olds. Directed by Robin Belfield, it uses an edited version of the original text to bring Shakespeare’s story of justice and mercy to life in just 90 minutes. In collaboration with our regional theatre partners and Associate Schools, this production also sees 24 young actors from the RSC’s Next Generation Company take on the parts of Jessica and Lorenzo, the two young people caught up in a clash between family, money and culture.