Why was I out after dark, sitting in the rain last night? Because Jane and I were watching Creation Theatre’s take on The Merchant of Venice at the Saïd Rooftop Amphitheatre. It didn’t rain too much although it was good that we had brought along a large poncho to shelter under. The production lived up to their normal high standards and made creative use of a small cast and simple set to tell the story.

And, of course, Portia’s speech, “The quality of mercy is not strain’d, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven” (Act 4, scene 1) raised a chuckle as, mercifully, we were only enduring a gentle rain at that point!

I understand that the company has struggled this summer, with the combination of an outdoor production, less than brilliant weather and the lack of any Olympic bubble of increased tourism (if anything, more people have been watching the sports on TV and not going out at all). If you want to support one of our most excellent local group of performers, then the show runs for a few more days and it would definitely be worth grabbing tickets even if the forecast is not completely dry.