The Merchant (play) wrote "Wesker’s point comes across clearly: that anti-Jewish prejudice is ingrained in English life." John Gross, another critic, stated that "As a humanistic sermon, "The Merchant" has much to recommend it. As a play, it lacks bite". "Shylock", a play by Mark Leiren-Young. The Merchant (play) The Merchant is a 1976 play in two acts by the English dramatist Arnold Wesker. It is based on William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", and focus on the Jewish Shylock character, that play's principal antagonist. Wesker began writing the play after seeing a 1973 performance by Laurence Olivier. It premiered in Stockholm in
Shakespeare for My Father she lost to Madeline Kahn), and went on to play in Canada, Melbourne, and at the Haymarket in London. The play received significant critical acclaim. "New York Magazine" described "Shakespeare for my Father" as "a one-woman show by Lynn Redgrave in which she reminisces about life with her father, Sir Michael Redgrave, with full scenes from Shakespeare's works", and stated that Redgrave's "sense of humor makes it a pleasure and privilege to watch". Patti Hartigan of "The Boston Globe" described the play as a "triumph", and Lloyd Rose of "The Washington Post" said of Redgrave's performance, "Particularly when she is