Pocket Merchant

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/arts-culture-news/review-pocket-merchant-belgrade-theatre-10295955tion

The Pocket Merchant is an hour-long performance of Propeller Theatre Company's full-length 2009 production of The Merchant of Venice.  This production features an all-male cast and was shown at the Town Hall Theatre in Hartlepool on the 21st October 2015.  

As this production is a much shorter version of the original this production puts all of the focus on Shylock's story, removing the comedy and romance elements of the full play.  This means that the play becomes a drama focusing on the court case highlighting the main themes of racism and anti-semitism.  

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/arts-culture-news/
review-pocket-merchant-belgrade-theatre-10295955tion

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/arts-culture-news/
review-pocket-merchant-belgrade-theatre-10295955tion

Jon Trenchard plays both the female characters; Jessica and Portia.  When asked when portraying Jessica did he not wear any shoes he replied "It gives me a feeling of submission - the feeling that people can step on your toes."  The costumes for each different character were representative of each person with the prisoners all wearing a plain blue shirt with their names on the backs in order to be identified.  One key point about the costumes that stood out for me was the suit that Portia wears in order to blend in during the court scene.  This was of a different colour to that of everyone else, instantly standing out, but it was also too large for the actor and was meant to signify that she was a woman wearing a mans suit and so it highlighted her smaller figure.