‘Merchant of Venice’ U.K. Production Ups Security in Wake of Hamas Attacks: ‘It’s Like a Dystopian Nightmare’
variety.comNaman Ramachandran The touring production of “The Merchant of Venice 1936″ has been targeted by antisemites, its star revealed.
Tracy-Ann Oberman, who has starred in “Doctor Who” and “Friday Night Dinner,” says the tour of the Shakespearean play has been forced to hire security guards in the wake of a surge of antisemitism prompted by the war between Hamas and Israel. “We’re on a 10-week tour and I’ve been moved beyond words at the reactions of audiences and critics.
Yet for the last week, the production has had to have security men around keeping an eye on things. It’s like a dystopian nightmare,” Oberman wrote in The Spectator. “A Jewish actress putting on a play about antisemitism which needs to be made secure because of Jew-hating extremists.
As one reviewer said: ‘Written in 1600, set in 1936, as relevant today in 2023.’ Ain’t that the truth.” “Ever since Hamas’ terror attack on Israel, with the pogrom-like brutality towards babies, women and girls, including rape and burning alive, I have felt broken.
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