A rare Shakespeare treat in Johor Bahru

 

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.

 

The cast of The Merchant of Venice,
taking a final bow after the performance

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.

 

Words of welcome by Elizabeth Louis 
at the start of the performance

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.

 

There was even an opportunity for members
of the audience to participate in the show!

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 15^th-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.

 

Bassanio [Left] and Antonio [Centre]
meets the sly moneylender,
Shylock [Right]

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.

 

Bassanio and Portia [Centre] meet in
the paradise island of Belmont

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.

 

It was Bassanio's turn to pick
his choice of the casket!

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.

 

Bassanio receives the ring from Portia

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)!

 

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...

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.

 

The audience gasped in shock when
Shylock was stripped of his clothes!

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.

 

Portia and Bassanio reunite in the finale
for a happy ending in this play

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