It
was certainly a rare treat in Johor Bahru for a live presentation of The
Merchant of Venice, a Shakespeare drama, in a one-night only show and I was
loathe to miss it.
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The cast of The Merchant of Venice,
taking a final bow after the performance
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I
had previously enjoyed a showcase of excerpts of Shakespeare plays presented by
the KL Shakespeare Players at the Johor Bahru Arts Festival and was impressed
by this passionate band of thespians who breathed life into familiar
Shakespeare plays.
I
could relate to their passion for Shakespeare as I enjoyed my English
Literature lessons and scored highly in this subject both at O-Level and
A-Level exams. And on my first visit to the UK, I had the pleasure to explore
Stratford-upon-Avon to soak myself in Shakespeare heritage and also visited
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.
Even
as I was eagerly anticipating another experience with the KL Shakespeare
Players, hopefully in a full-length Shakespeare play, I was thrilled to learn
that StageCraft will be staging, The Merchant of Venice, literally at
our very doorstep.
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Words of welcome by Elizabeth Louis
at the start of the performance
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This
show in Johor Bahru was a joint production by the KL Shakespeare Players (KLSP)
and StageCraft Theatre Productions Johor Bahru, and when I congratulated
Producer, Elizabeth Louis, on this event, she invited me to the morning show
which was for students in a school’s-only show.
StageCraft, a Performing Arts and
Communication Skills training centre, had long had the desire to re-invigorate
the Johor Bahru arts scene by creating a thriving theatre environment, both by
staging their own plays as well as inviting theatre companies from outside to
stage their plays here.
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There was even an opportunity for members
of the audience to participate in the show!
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For Johor Bahru to reach a mature
and holistically developed state, StageCraft believes that the city needs to
have, not just modern malls but the breath of the Arts and Culture coursing
through its veins. Thus began its collaboration with the KLSP and other theatre
companies such as Theatrethreesixty and Gardner & Wife.
Through
a collaboration with StageCraft, the KLSP returned to Johor Bahru again in 2023
to stage, Macbeth. In this collaboration to stage The
Merchant of Venice in Johor Bahru, StageCraft is thrilled to be a part of
the KLSP’s 15th-year celebration tour.
The
KL Shakespeare Players is one of the most active theatre companies in the
nation with a mission to develop future audiences and supporters for the local
theatre industry.
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Bassanio [Left] and Antonio [Centre]
meets the sly moneylender,
Shylock [Right]
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Every
format of their shows was developed with careful research, development and
exploration, in a repertoire of shows to capture audiences at various levels
from the very young, teenagers and adults. In 2023 and 2025, they staged over
160 shows and over 80 shows in 2025.
That
morning was wet with rain when I arrived at the foyer of the auditorium to see
groups of international school students gathered there, escorted by teachers. From
the names on their T-shirts, I learnt that the students – aged from 12 to 17 –
were from Cornerstone International School and Tenby School Setia Eco Garden.
I
learnt from the teachers-in-charge that the KLSP have a large and consistent
following among the international school teachers and students in Johor Bahru.
Many
considered the KLSP as a life-saver in helping students have a better
understanding of Shakespeare plays which leads to answering their Cambridge IGCSE-syllabus
questions more effectively.
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Bassanio and Portia [Centre] meet in
the paradise island of Belmont
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Monica
Xavier, Principal of Cornerstone International School, said their High School students’
experience of this live performance of a Shakespeare play was part of their
school’s Education Outside School activities, aimed at giving students cultural
exposure and to learn more about the English culture.
Meanwhile,
English Head-of-Department at Tenby School Setia Eco Garden, Melissa Vicknes, shared
that their 96 students at the play were from the Literature, English as a First
Language and English as a Second Language classes, with some taking Drama as an
option in their IGCSE exam.
When
the auditorium doors opened, the students filed inside to take their seats in
an orderly way before Elizabeth Louis addressed them with words of welcome and an
announcement of the house rules. And without further delay, the show started.
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It was Bassanio's turn to pick
his choice of the casket!
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In
the introduction, the audience was encouraged to use their imagination as the
play will be presented with minimum props and sets while the cast of eight actors
will be playing multiple roles.
Supported
by some music and by listening to their voices, the audience will better
appreciate their storytelling. [I was impressed with how the actors could
“throw their voices” so well because they performed without the use of
microphones!]
Under
their Shakespeare Demystified series of plays, performances are staged
in a format with key scenes which mixes Shakespeare’s original text with the narration
in contemporary English to let the play be more easily understood and
accessible to audiences.
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Bassanio receives the ring from Portia
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Very
quickly, we were transported to ancient Venice and the island paradise of
Belmont as the story of The Merchant of Venice unfolded before us.
In
the title role of the merchant Antonio, was long-time Shakespeare actor, Zul
Zamir, whose talent and stage experience shone through the many roles he played
in this staging.
In
this play, he has to face the consequences of a breached contract with the sly
and vengeful Jewish moneylender, Shylock, played by KLSP co-founder and veteran
thespian, Lim Soon Heng.
Fans
of Shakespeare plays need not stretch their imagination too far as many (like
me!) can easily identify the many roles played by the actors as they changed
their outfits by wearing a hat, a shawl or a blazer, to denote a change of
character.
It
was also very refreshing to hear archaic English words, reminiscent of
Shakespeare language as their dialogue included words and phrases like,
“visage” (facial expression or appearance), “come hither” (come here), “peruse
this” (read this), “make haste” (hurry) and “methinks” (I think)!
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Shylock [Left] wielding his carving knife
to slice off a pound of flesh from
Antonio while Portia (in disguise!)
steps in to warn him - take the flesh
but be sure there was no blood...
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I
liked how the scenes flowed smoothly with brief breaks for narration, where the
storytellers guided the audience into the next scene, gave brief explanations
on say, the role of Jewish moneylenders, the folklore about Christians vs Jews,
the value of 3,000 ducats (equivalent to about RM 7 million) and the weight of
a “pound of flesh” – estimated at about four chicken drumsticks!
While
every one of the KLSP actors should be applauded for a commendable performance,
credit must be given for their creative license to showcase the scene where the
princes came to pick the caskets, in an attempt to win the hand of Portia in
marriage.
Incidentally,
the roles of the Prince of Morocco and the Prince of Aragon was played by Lok
Shi Hoong, the versatile actor who also played the role of Bassanio.
To
create a different identity for each of the princes, the Prince of Aragon spoke
in an exaggerated, melodious tone of voice which clearly tickled the audience as
he managed to elicit much laughter from them.
The
young audience also responded well to the antics of Gratiano, played by the
effervescent Tengku Azizan, who probably performed with the most physical moves
on stage with his running, dashing, rolling on the floor and even, wrestling.
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The audience gasped in shock when
Shylock was stripped of his clothes!
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After
the actors took their final bow to much applause, they were joined by Director,
Lim Kien Lee, who invited the students to participate in a Question &
Answer session.
The
young students – being curious and inquisitive – eagerly asked each burning
question that ranged from the intelligent and relevant to those which were
downright blunt. And the cast did their best to reply and satisfied their
curiosity.
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Portia and Bassanio reunite in the finale
for a happy ending in this play
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While
the young and impressionable students trickled out of the auditorium, I believe
that their experience of this Shakespeare Demystified show has impacted them in
different ways and there was indeed, much to ponder.
In
addition to being immersed in English culture set in the Shakespearean era, they
learnt the nuances of the British accent and soliloquys.
They
will consider if there was justice or mercy, and the morals of this story while
there was even a kissing scene, a time where one actor bared his chest and
another where the actor stripped down to his boxer shorts…and they soon learnt
that, “It’s all part of the show!”
For
more information about the KL Shakespeare Players and their next exciting shows,
visit official website on: klshakespeare.com.my
StageCraft
offers courses in Speech and Drama, Public Speaking, Communication Skills,
Performance Arts and Music. To find out more about StageCraft Theatre
Productions and their next shows in Johor Bahru, visit official Facebook page
at stagecraftmy. Send enquiries by email to: communicate@stagecraft.com.my
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