Cast

Portia - Lizzy Crarer
Lizzy is a second year Theologian at Trinity Hall and this is her ninth play in Cambridge. She has been in three Shakespeare productions, including Mariana in Measure for Measure, Hero in Much Ado, and Helena in Midsummer Night's Dream. Last summer she spent touring India and Nepal with a student theatre company, and this August will go to the Edinburgh Fringe in Dracula.

Bassiano - Edward Martineau
Ed is in his first year studying classics at John's. Previous roles: Malcolm in Macbeth, Edward in Someone Who'll Watch Over Me and Franciscus in The Changeling.

Antonio - Patrick Warner
Patrick is a Fresher reading Theology at Trinity College. Since arriving at Cambridge he has appeared in a variety of roles in The Permanent Way, as Leonard in Violent Acts and as Jasperino in The Changeling.

Shylock - Thomas Yarrow
Thomas is a second year classicist at King's. Besides ducats and flesh he enjoys the occasional round of lawn croquet in the summer, reading in front of the fire in the winter, and making some attempts at compromise in the spring/autumn. When pricked he bleeds, when poisoned he no doubt dies, when tickled he gets pissed off. He'd really love to be able to play Liszt's 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody.

Nerissa - Natalie Kesterton
In her two years of history at New Hall, Natalie has distracted herself with roles such as Amy in Tape(Shadwell), Berta in The Father (JCDS), Mrs Grubach/The Laundress/Block in Kafka's The Trial (ADC, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2006), Natalie in A State Affair (ADC), Mrs Martin in The Bald Prima Donna (Shadwell) and will be playing Mrs Beaver in the ADC's production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at this years Edinburgh Fringe.

Gratiano - Molly Goyer Gorman
Molly studies first year English at King's. Since coming to Cambridge she has played more men than women, the most recent being Prospero in The Tempest with Jesus College Drama Society, and Giri the gangster in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the ADC. She's looking forward to finally being a woman this Summer, in Cambridge American Stage Tour's production of The Winter's Tale.

Lorenzo - Mark Corbin Mark is in his second year studying Maths (interest not lifestyle choice) at Queens'. You may have seen Mark in any of: Macbeth (Corpus Playroom), Spartacus (ADC/Footlights Panto), Relatively Speaking (Fitzpatrick Theatre), and less recently Lord of the Flies: the musical, AS Theatre Studies: devised piece and Elmlea Junior School's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. You may not have. That's life.

Jessica - Stephanie Bain
Stephanie is a first year English student at Queens'. Her previous acting at Cambridge includes The Crucible (Elizabeth), King Lear (Regan), The Seagull (Polina), Hang On Mr Bugson (Lucy) and Yerma (Yerma).

Salario/Duke/Morocco/Balthazar/Arragon - Dan Martin
Dan is a second year student at Homerton College studying English and Drama with Education. His Shakespeare credits include Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice, Bertram in All's Well That End's Well, Malvolio in Twelfth Night (CAST) and Lennox and messenger in Macbeth (ETG). Other credits include Ralph Clark in Our Country's Good, Dapper in The Alchemist, Terry in Gate 13, Billis in South Pacific, Frederick Clegg in The Collector and Ariel in Return to the Forbidden Planet.

Solanio - Laura Bates
Laura recently finished filming the new BBC series Wannabes in which she played Charlie, and has toured America playing Olivia in Twelfth Night (CAST) and Europe playing Lady Macduff and a Witch in Macbeth (ETG). She has just finished playing Paulina in Death and the Maiden. Previous roles include Miranda in The Collector, Adela in Street of Crocodiles, Sandy in Grease, Jessica in The Merchant of Venice, Franvera in Red Red Shoes, Marjana and Parizade in Arabian Nights and Louise in the world amateur dramatic premier of Power.

Launcelot Gobbo - James Everest
James is a fourth-year linguist at Pembroke who, besides Launcelot Gobbo, has brought to life such theatrical clowns, fools and idiots as The Fool in King Lear, Sparkish in A Country Wife and Antonio in The Changeling. This will be his last production on a Cambridge stage, so wish him well.

Old Gobbo/Tubal - Rob Carter
Rob Carter, 19, is a first year student at Queens' college and is playing the part of Old Gobbo. Last term he performed in Black Comedy and Coat, and his interests include piano, bass guitar and hockey.

Messenger/Stephano/Musician/Servant - Lucy Evans
In this past year Lucy has messed with Macbeth's mind and the klystron generator of the Spaceship ADC9, successfully destroying both. As a result she greatly appreciates this opportunity to be helpful onstage.

Portia's Servant/Gaoler/Torchbearer - Tara Crabbe

Leonardo/Suitor's Train/Torchbearer - Lucie Fortune
Lucie is a first-year philosopher from Jesus. This is her first appearance on the ADC stage, with her other performances in Cambridge being as a member of Alcock Improv, an improvised comedy group. She promises to keep her performance in Merchant entirely scripted.

Crew

Producer : Jess Crawford
Jess is a second year art history. Her previous production roles include Krapp's Last Tape, The Venetian Twins and Post Mortem. When she's not sending emails she also dabbles in a bit of acting, having previously performed in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Our Country's Good, Uncle Vanya and The Bald Prima Donna.

Stage Manager : Katherine Upton
Katherine is a first year English student at Girton College. The Merchant of Venice is the third show she has stage managed since coming to Cambridge. Previously, she stage managed The Freshers' late show, Dogg's Hamlet and The Changeling in the Round Church. This summer she is touring with the Cambridge American Stage Tour's production of The Winter's Tale as assistant stage manager.

Production Designer / Technical Director : Claire Butcher
Claire is a second year biological anthropologist at Trinity. Previous set design credits include Oklahoma! at the Arts Theatre, Return to the Forbidden Planet, In the Blood and Confusions at the ADC and assistant designing South Pacific at the ADC and Princess Ida at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall. This is only her second time technical directing so she's hoping the set doesn't fall apart!

Lighting Designer : Saajan Chana

Assistant Stage Manager : Lizzy Mills
Lizzy is in her first year studying Maths with Education Studies at Homerton College. She first got involved in the ADC last term when a friend persuaded her to do front of house, and she ended up doing it at least once a week. After mentioning her interest in getting more involved in a show, she was asked if she wanted to be the assistant stage manager in Return to the Forbidden Planet.

LX : Marchette Lee

Musical director : Richard Sands

Costume designer : Jen Hobbs

Projectionist and website designer : Alexandra Medeville

Video Production Team

Sound (Daytime Shoots) : Karl Homer

Editor : Kate Kopelman

Script Supervisor/Assistant Editor : James Hyde

Production Assistant : Josie Ainscough

Cameraman (Evening) : David Hipkin

Runner : Antti Poussa

Swing : Aaron Greenwood / Ben Barfield

Cameraman (Day) : Stuart Watkins

Assistant Camera : Axel Banget

AD at Large : Kate Robinson