Gareth Armstrong’s award-winning Shylock The Jew will be brought to life at the Manoel Theatre on Friday and Saturday in a dramatic rendering of fiction’s most famous Jew.

The riveting solo performance appeals broadly to audiences who are keen for insights into Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, to those who are passionate about the legacy of racial and religious intolerance, and to those fascinated by the history of plays in performance or simply eager for thrilling theatre.

Celebrating the richness of Shakespeare’s language, and conjuring up a whole cast of characters – from Portia to Pontius Pilate, from Romeo to Max Reinhardt, and from Barabbas to Richard Burbage – this dazzling, moving and often hilarious play is a fascinating exploration of Shylock and his people.

Shylock the Jew has won awards from New Zealand to Germany. It has been translated into Catalan, Spanish, Italian, French and Russian and it has inspired and enthralled audiences wherever it has been performed – all over North America and Europe and in India, Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi, Malaysia and New Zealand.

Born in Wales, Gareth Armstrong graduated in Drama from Hull University, and began his professional career in regional theatre. He has played in the West End and, as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, has worked in Stratford and at the Aldwych theatre in London.

He has worked extensively as a director, teacher and actor: Shakespeare has taken him to over 30 countries worldwide in roles ranging from Romeo to Macbeth and from Puck to Richard III.

The press worldwide has reacted to Gareth Armstrong’s performance of Shylock with much acclaim: “This is as good as theatre gets” (The Liverpool Daily Post); “Armstrong is nothing short of incredible... It is an exceptional piece of theatre. Everyone should see it” (The Independent on Sunday, London); “It delights, enlightens and dazzles” (the Jewish Bulletin of Northern California); “This is a performance which deserves to be sold out. It is theatre for thinking men and women, it is a theatre of the imagination, of liberating emotions, and also of bold thinking “ (the Kurier, Vienna).

Shylock is directed by Frank Barrie to original music by Simon Slater.

Reservations for the performances can be made from the Manoel Theatre booking office, telephone 2124-6389, or by email at [email protected]