Shylock. A villain? A victim? Or something even more intriguing? The tragic, funny, and often unbelievable life, of fiction’s most famous Jew.

The play confronts and confounds the stereotypes through the eyes of Shylock’s only friend – Tubal, who proves a born comic storyteller.

Celebrating the richness of Shakespeare’s language and conjuring up a whole cast of characters, this dazzling, moving, and often hilarious play is a fascinating exploration of Shylock and his people.

Gareth Armstrong has toured this production of Shylock around the world to much acclaim. He has acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and also performed in and directed plays all over the country and abroad. He has recently completed readings of all the Maigret books for Audible.

What the critics say

"Armstrong is nothing short of incredible... It is an exceptional piece of theatre. Everyone should see it." The Independent on Sunday, London

"This is as good as theatre gets... It was undiluted joy and a privilege to watch." Liverpool Daily Post

"Gareth Armstrong is magnetic throughout... You need not be Jewish nor an Eng Lit expert to appreciate this: you need only be human." The List, Edinburgh *****

"It's all fascinating, a nimble analysis of the thorny, much-abused character and the great, troublesome play." The Washington Post

Information and Covid-19 safety

As part of our continued efforts to provide a safe environment for all of our members, volunteers and guests, we request that all attendees of this show wear a mask, unless you are medically exempt. On arrival, please use the hand sanitiser provided on site and please refrain from moving seat positions, which will be laid out with social distancing in mind. We will be leaving some windows open for good ventilation, so please wear something warm to the event.

On-street parking is available nearby but please avoid Ashley Gardens. The library is a 9 minute walk from Preston Road underground station on the Metropolitan line. The 79 and 204 buses stop near Ashley Gardens (alight at St Augustine's Avenue on Preston Road).

Play running time: 70mins

Doors open: 7:15pm

Performance starts: 7:30pm sharp