When Warsaw Ghetto-escapee Sarah visits the Venice Ghetto she happens to witness a group of actors staging a dress rehearsal of The Merchant of Venice, upon this chance encounter Sarah is confronted by the terrible story of 'The Jew' which touches her own life.Through this emotive and provocative play Julia Pascal re-works Shakespeare's controversial text, transposing the fervent theme of anti-Semitism raised by the bard, playing it out in a contemporary setting.Challenging the portrayal of 'The Jew' that for many years has dominated society's attitudes towards the Jewish people, Pascal ambitiously places her own text within Shakespeare's classic, producing a thoroughly thought-provoking and original work.
