Posted on the 11th of May 2009
This summer is set to be a hot one and The Hazlitt Arts Centre and the Changeling Theatre won’t disappoint audiences this year with their outdoor performances of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, credit crunch style!
Themes of banking and money in The Merchant of Venice are given a contemporary ‘Deal or No Deal’ inspired twist, bringing the performance up-to-date and making it ideally suited to the current economic climate. As Director Rob Forknall explains “It’s set in a City, in a world not that far from our own – this is a credit crunch of Shakespearian proportions!” With performances taking place all over the county and tickets available from £10, the play allows the audience to escape into a world of entertainment and culture without breaking the bank.
Due to the overwhelming success and popularity of last year’s performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice will be coming to four new venues in Kent; Dickens World in Chatham, Godinton House and Gardens in Ashford, Penshurst Place in Tonbridge and the Aylesford Friars in Maidstone. The new venues will be providing a stunning new backdrop to the open-air theatre, adding to the list of existing popular venues such as Boughton Monchelsea Place and Upnor Castle.
Ex-Hollyoaks star, Oliver Farnworth is playing the part of Lorenzo and is best known for playing the role of psychotic student Will Hackett in teenage soap opera. He has also previously played Lysander in the British Shakespeare’s company’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and played a part in the ITV medical drama The Royal.
Producer, Mandy Hare from the Hazlitt Arts Centre says that: “The Merchant of Venice, one of Shakespeare’s most complex plays has always fascinated us. The perennial favourites of cross dressing and hidden agendas are, of course, all there in abundance. But then you have the darker themes of fractured societies, racism, financial collapse – all of which makes it a particularly apposite choice for us this year.”
The Merchant of Venice will be showing at:
Dickens World, (Chatham)
10th July 7.30pm
Godinton House and Gardens (nr.Ashford)
11th July 7.30pm
Upnor Castle (nr. Gillingham)
14th & 15th July 7.30pm
Hermitage Millennium Amphitheatre (Maidstone)
16th July 7.30pm
Doddington Place (nr. Sittingbourne)
18th & 19th July 7.30pm
(For tickets for Doddington Place please ring 01795 417426/ 417194)
Rochester Castle Gardens (Rochester)
22nd & 23rd July 7.30pm
Boughton Monchelsea Place (Maidstone)
24th July 7.30pm
25th July 3pm & 7.30pm
26th July 5pm
8th August 3pm & 7.30pm
9th August 5pm
Belmont House (Near Faversham)
31st July & 1st August 7.30pm
Penshurst Place (nr. Tonbridge)
2nd August 7.30pm
Nurstead Court (Gravesend)
5th & 6th August 7.30pm
For tickets to Nurstead please ring 01474 337774
Aylesford Friars (Maidstone)
7th August 7.30pm
Tickets available from £10, Telephone 01622 758611 http://www.hazlittartscentre.co.uk
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Notes to editors:
The Hazlitt Arts Centre and The Changeling have been collaborating on the summer season for ten years. It is recommended that the audience take their own comfortable seating for the performances. The Hazlitt Arts Centre is provided by Maidstone Borough Council.
Press Contact:
Jodi Eeles - Pillory Barn Creative - 01622 684407 - (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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