The Merchant of Venice

Warren Mitchell stars with Martin Jarvis, Samuel West and Juliet Aubrey in this BBC Radio 4 production of Shakespeare's thrilling courtroom drama. Shakespeare's classic play explores the eternal themes of love and hate, mercy and justice, with parallel stories centred on the moneylender, Shylock, and the lovers, Portia and Bassanio. Shylock's angry insistence on the repayment of his debt from Bassanio ends in the Venetian courts where he demands his 'pound of flesh'. Portia meanwhile, a wealthy young Venetian woman, must marry one of her many suitors. Her late father's will has set the challenge by means of three caskets, one gold, one silver and one lead. The climax of the play takes place in court, with Portia, now disguised as a man and defending the life of Antonio, imploring Shylock to show mercy. This superb production of Shakespeare's dramatic and complex play is directed by the award-winning Peter Kavanagh and features specially-composed music by the renowned Barrington Pheloung. The Classic Radio Theatre range presents notable radio productions of much-loved plays by some of the most renowned playwrights, and starring some of our finest actors.