Fresh take on Shakespeare explores antisemitism via 1930s Cable Street

The Merchant of Venice 1936 among four plays to feature at RSC's reopened Swan theatre this summer

A new take on Shakespeare's controversial play The Merchant of Venice, set in London's East End in the 1930s as the threat of fascism looms, will be among four plays to feature at the Royal Shakespeare Company's reopened Swan theatre this summer.

The Merchant of Venice 1936 is breathtakingly honest about the antisemitism described in [Shakespeare's] play, and its new setting in 1930s Cable Street reveals a shameful slice of our history," said Erica Whyman, the RSC's acting artistic director.