It has been announced that acclaimed actor Joseph Millson (The Last Kingdom, Netflix; The Forsyte Saga) will join Tracy-Ann Oberman in the critically acclaimed production of The Merchant of Venice 1936, for its strictly limited West End season from 28 December 2024 – 25 January 2025) and subsequent UK tour in 2025.

Back by popular demand following a sold-out run at the Criterion Theatre earlier this year, Shakespeare’s enduring classic is transported to 1930s East London against a backdrop of political unrest and the Battle of Cable Street.

This smash hit production also welcomes Georgie Fellows as Portia, Evie Hargreaves as Mary/Nerissa, Mikhail Sen as Lorenzo/Maharajah and Elly Roberts as Stefania/Blackshirt. Reprising their roles are Gavin Fowler as Bassanio, Grainne Dromgoole as Jessica, Xavier Starr as Gratiano, and Alex Zur as Yuval/The Duke/Blackshirt.

Tracy-Ann Oberman said: “Having Joe join the cast of MOV36 as the merchant Antonio is the dream. He’s such a wonderful actor with a great Shakespearean pedigree and I’ve always admired his work. He’s not only a great friend but also an actor who I love being on stage with and I cannot wait to see what happens when my Shylock meets his Antonio in the East End of London, 1936.”

After the West End season, this groundbreaking production will embark on a second UK tour for eight weeks visiting: Liverpool, Bath, Leeds, Salford, Fareham, Cardiff, Southend and culminating in Birmingham on 5 April 2025.

With the city on the brink of political unrest, fascism sweeping across Europe and Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists threatening a paramilitary march through the Jewish East End, strong-willed single mother Shylock runs a pawnbroking business from her house in Cable Street where Mosley will march. When charismatic, antisemitic aristocrat Antonio comes to her for a loan, a high-stakes deal is struck. Will Shylock take her revenge, and who will pay the ultimate price?

For more info on The Merchant of Venice 1936, please click here.