The open air suits this contemporary take on the Bard

Merchant of Venice, Cardiff Open Air Theatre

MAYBE it was the backdrop of tropical Cardiff weather, or the foot-tapping 1980s score, but there was something strangely uplifting about Everyman Theatre Company’s production of The Merchant Of Venice.

William Shakespeare’s power-hungry and love-drunk comedy was given a fresh outing in the atmospheric Open Air Festival in Sophia Gardens.

And rather than coming away feeling sympathy for poor Shylock’s fate or uneasy about the way the “beautiful” Portia contrives her own happy ending, the audience went off into the Cardiff night simply beaming.

That owed much to an energetic ensemble cast, as well as the addictive plot that leaves you demanding a resolution.

We were welcomed into a 1980s stockbroker’s office setting – think Wolf of Wall Street meets Shakespeare – where there was a lot more partying than work and where we were invited to follow the fortunes of down-on-his-luck merchant Antonio who takes a loan from Shylock to save his struggling Venice fleet.

His mistake is jokingly agreeing to give a pound of his own flesh to Shylock if it cannot be repaid.

Antonio’s friend Bassanio meanwhile seeks the love of Portia, princess of Belmont and we witness a Blind Date-style auditioning process for those seeking her hand in marriage. Cilla Black wouldn’t have been out of place.

The interweaving of these two very different tales, of love and revenge, is well choreographed through a fun and pacy style that’s helped by the brilliant ’80s tunes, hairstyles and outrageous outfits. The stage, half a buzzing sales floor and half a beach bar, fits with the noisy outdoor setting.

And with the acting performances, often overt and slapstick, you sense a comment on the stupidity of 20th-century capitalist culture. It’s not just the vengeful Shylock that is desperate for money and power.

But despite all of that, you are left with an overriding sense of sheer fun.