January 6, 2004
Contact: Susan Gwynne
(805) 893-2098
e-mail: gwynne-s@sa.ucsb.edu

Royal Shakespeare Company alumnus Gareth Armstrong performs his fascinating Shylock at UCSB Campbell Hall

Summary Facts:

• Gareth Armstrong in his highly acclaimed play Shylock
• Armstrong is an alumnus of the Royal Shakespeare Company
• Armstrong has earned praise for roles in Richard III, Macbeth and The Merchant of Venice
• Thursday, February 12
• 8 pm / UCSB Campbell Hall
• General public: $30, $25 / UCSB students: $19, $16
• Tickets & Information: UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535

The great Welsh actor Gareth Armstrong will bring to life one of Shakespeare’s most misunderstood characters when he performs his play Shylock on Thursday, February 12 at 8 pm at UCSB Campbell Hall. This award-winning play confronts the stereotypes in The Merchant of Venice through the eyes of Shylock’s only friend—and the only other Jewish man in all of Shakespeare—Tubal. Promoted to center stage from his minor, eight-line role, Tubal—as conceived and played by the talented Armstrong—proves a born comic storyteller. Celebrating the richness of Shakespeare’s language and conjuring up a whole cast of characters, from Portia to Pontius Pilate, from Romeo to Max Reinhardt, and from Barabbas to Richard Burbage, this dazzling, moving and often hilarious play is a fascinating exploration of Shylock and his people. “Armstrong is nothing short of incredible,” raves the Independent (London). “It is an exceptional piece of theatre. Everyone should see it.”

A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Gareth Armstrong has performed the Bard’s works in over thirty countries. In addition to stunning turns as the titular “heroes” of Richard III and Macbeth, Armstrong has created indelible performances in more modern plays, such as Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced, Tom Stoppard’s Dirty Linen and Noel Coward’s Easy Virtue, all presented in London’s West End. A frequent presence on the BBC, Armstrong might be best known for playing Sean in the world’s longest running radio serial The Archers. A founding member of the Made in Wales State Company, Armstrong has directed productions throughout the United Kingdom and has helped bring Shakespeare to the United States as associate director of ACTER, A Center for Theatre, Education & Research based at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

When preparing to play Shylock in a highly acclaimed performance in Salisbury Playhouse’s The Merchant of Venice, Armstrong became fascinated by this most controversial of Shakespeare’s characters. Armstrong has written, “No academic who writes about the play can know what it’s like to be Shylock. Only an actor knows that. Shylock is the ultimate outsider, and misfits are always the most interesting parts to play. Shakespeare only gives him five of the play’s 20 scenes, but his character is so intriguing that it has grown ever more resonant over the centuries, particularly the last one. Shylock is the only major Jew in Shakespeare. Is he the stereotype comic villain that his own audience expected, or is he something more complex, more demanding of our attention?”

Armstrong, who is the son of a Presbyterian minister, learned much about the dreadful history of anti-Semitism when writing his play. It fascinated him, for instance, to discover that Shakespeare could not have known any Jews personally, as King Edward I expelled Jews from England in 1290. The performance, however, is anything but a dry history lesson. Its broad appeal is to audiences who are keen for insights into The Merchant of Venice, those passionate about the legacy of racial and religious intolerance, and to those intrigued by the history of plays in performance or simply eager for thrilling theatre and beautiful language. “It’s all fascinating,” claims the Washington Post. “A nimble analysis of the thorny, much-abused character and the great, troublesome play.”

The audience is invited to remain after the performance to take part in a Meet-the-Artist discussion.

In Arts & Lectures’ on-going effort to make our events accessible to all who wish to enjoy them, this performance will be signed. American Sign Language interpretation is made possible by the California Arts Council in collaboration with the National Arts and Disability Center and by the Santa Barbara Foundation’s Access Theatre Endowment Fund.

Gareth Armstrong is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures and sponsored by the Best Western Peppertree Inn. Tickets are $30 and $25 for the general public and $19 and $16 for UCSB students.

For tickets or more information,
call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535.

Editor: For photos, please call
Susan Gwynne at (805) 893-2098.