The MADC returns with its eagerly-awaited annual outdoor Shakespeare production. Jo Caruana interviews director Joe Friggieri and actor Manuel Cauchi to find out why this long-standing cultural tradition never fails to pull crowds.

From Shylock’s pound of flesh to Portia’s gentle rain from heaven, The Merchant of Venice arguably has some of the best Shakespearean lines ever written. And now, after 10 years, the Malta Amateur Dramatic Club has decided to once again produce the show for its annual al fresco production at San Anton Gardens.

“After 10 years, we felt that was long enough,” grins director Joe Friggieri when asked why.“It’s a lovely play. Everybody has at least some idea of the plot, so we thought that it would be a good choice.”

Indeed, as one of The Bard’s most popular scripts, audiences are already keen to see how Friggieri and his troop will choose to the tell the tale this time.

The story tells of Antonio (who will be played by Michael Mangion), the merchant of Venice who lends 3,000 ducats to his friend Bassanio (Philip Leone Ganado) so he can woo the wealthy and beautiful Portia (Coryse Borg). However, he has to borrow the money from Shylock (Manuel Cauchi), the Jewish money lender and his failure to repay the loan on the agreed date entitles Shylock to a pound of Antonio’s flesh.

“There are actually six stories running parallel in The Merchant of Venice. They are beautifully interwoven, giving rise to a fascinating plot and a number of sub plots,” Friggieri continues.

These stories involve the scenes of the three caskets, Shylock’s bond and Antonio’s predicament, the main love story between Portia and Bassanio, the other love story between Jessica and Lorenzo, the court scene and Portia’s trick with the rings.

“So there’s something in it for everybody,” quips the director. “There are some memorable moments and a number of very well-known speeches. The language is, as usual, sublime, and the Launcelot scenes are very funny, providing a welcome break from the tension created by the more serious aspects of the play.

“My work as a director is to keep the six stories moving at a fast pace, so as to make sure that interest is maintained throughout the performance.”

As always with Shakespeare’s work, there’s the question of whether the story will still feel relevant to modern audiences, but Friggieri is completely convinced that it will.

Shakespeare will always be important

“So many of the issues raised by Shakespeare in his plays are universal and timeless,” he says. “For that reason they remain relevant everywhere and always. The Merchant of Venice deals with such big themes, including love, hate, revenge, money, power, luck, and so on, but it also deals with racial prejudice and the creation of permanent minorities as a result of social exclusion. Those two themes, I find, resonate with special force in contemporary Maltese society... and in the rest of Europe, of course.”

A veteran at producing Shakespeare in Malta, this will be Friggieri’s eighth edition for the MADC. As a result, he has confidently created a set that effectively combines the beauty of San Anton Gardens with the nuances of the script. The resulting performance space will be enclosed by trees on one side and flanked by the Palace on the other.

“I had lots to keep in mind when designing the space but my main focus was the desired feeling of intimacy between the actors and audience. I want to make those people sitting in the last row feel as close as possible to what’s happening on stage. I do think the garden setting lends itself beautifully to that.”

In many ways, Friggieri has chosen to stay true to the Elizabethan style of staging, thus utilising very little scenery and not sharply distinguishing between scenes. He explains that this enabled the action to flow effortlessly from one scene to the next, allowing for great flexibility and no gaps.

“In The Merchant of Venice we’re in Antonio’s Venice in one scene and find ourselves in Portia’s Belmont the next. There’s no need for any complicated business to move backdrops and bits of furniture around. A simple light change will do the trick,” he says.

Meanwhile, the experienced cast are busy working on the characterisation of the show’s unique characters, some of which are known to be among the most desirable parts to play.

“Any actor would be proud to add a role like Shylock to his credits,” says Cauchi, who is well-known for his repertoire of Shakespearean and other performances. “The villain versus victim attributes that one can give to the role are very exciting and, whether our audience conceives him as either a villain or a victim is left up to them. Shakespeare is very clever at doing this.”

Cauchi believes audiences will be drawn to the play’s simplicity and direct approach. “Friggieri has decided on a modern-dress interpretation to this play and everything has been kept simple. Thus, the cast is working hard to evoke a sense of raw emotion and we believe our patrons will be in for a treat.

“After all, Shakespeare will always be important. Every Shakespearean text shows that it is no longer a mirror but a window peering deep into our souls. He manages to achieve that so effortlessly and that is why he will always have something incredible to offer. The Merchant of Venice is the perfect example of that,” he adds.

The Merchant of Venice runs between July 23 and 30 at San Anton Gardens, Attard. Tickets are available online or by calling on 7979 6232.

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