Absolutely abysmal - the worst MoV I've ever seen. I couldn't wait for the interval to make my escape!

Julia, York,

I have been attending RSC productions for forty years and I am sorry to say this is simply the most dreadful production I have ever seen. The Merchant of Venice well acted is a painful play to watch in an exquisite way, this was just plain painful and disgraced the stage of the Courtyard.

Maggie Lowth, Aslockton, Nottinghamshire

I have been attending shows at the RSC for many years and this was by far the worst. As an actor, recently out of drama school I found it infuriating to watch these actors with no intention, no passion and lacking connection with other actors. It is impossible to get an audition at RSC. Why!!

Rich, West Midlands,

Sadly, this review is spot on. The blokes in suits kept shoving hands into pockets for want of any idea of what attitude to strike, and Wright kept buttoning and unbuttoning his jacket. In a pre-show director's talk, Carroll maintained that he resisted imposing a view of the play, but the performance suggested he just didn't have one, and the cast were left floundering.

Alison Stewart, Jersey,

I could not agree more. We were terribly disappointed with this production. The set, the costumes and the performances were all poor. On top of this the interpretation of the play was superficial with a lopsided emphasis on the world of Belmont while the contrasting world of Venice was all but lost. It was presented as a straight comedy without passion, anger or pathos and this only encouraged the audience to laugh, inappropriately, at moments of great anguish, like the forced conversion of Shylock. This is a production we might expect to see at local amateur dramatic society but not on the stage at Stratford.

Neil Staunton, Walsall, West Midlands