Shylock (John Huston)

Winnipeg Fringe Festival

5 Stars

I confess, I was a bit worried when the theatre doors closed and the house lights dimmed.  80 minutes?  One man emoting for 80 minutes?  Because 60 minutes can seem interminable, but 80…

I needn’t have worried.  Shylock was excellent.  John Huston is amazingly talented, and he embodies the title character (or rather, the actor playing the title character) completely.  Every nuance of action, every cadence of speech.  It was a delight.

The script was not penned by Huston, but it could have been penned FOR him.  Bravo on a enthralling performance, and for making 80 minutes feel incredibly well spent.

Merchant of Venice has always been a play that I’ve avoided, specifically because of the blatant antisemitism.  However, after Shylock I’m intrigued.  I don’t often leave the theatre feeling moved, but I did here.  Again, Bravo.