UDIENCES will see an interesting take on a classic work as part of the Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts this weekend.

Former Royal Shakespeare Company actor Gareth Armstrong will perform , a one-man show which explores the infamous character in .

Having performed Shakespeare for 35 years, Mr. Armstrong wrote the award-winning piece seven years ago. It examines differences in faith and race, its main aim to challenge negative stereotypes.

"I played the character and got really intrigued by Shylock," he said, in explaining how came about.

"Everyone thinks of him as the main character in because he brings such force. He's not. He's a sub-plot."

In the well-known tale, Jews are treated as lesser members of society. Shylock, a Jewish loan shark, lends a sum of money to Antonio, a shipping merchant. The one codicil to the loan is that, should it not be repaid by the specified date, Shylock would receive a pound of Antonio's flesh in lieu of the cash.

The more he portrayed Shylock, the more his fascination with the character grew, Mr. Armstrong said. So much so, that even though he didn't "like Shylock very much at all" he felt compelled to create a performance piece with him at its centre.

The resulting play, while not intended as a history lesson, was borne from great study ? both of Shylock and anti-Semitism.

"I discovered so much about the history of anti-Semitism that I was ignorant of," the actor explained.

"It was important for me to understand Shakespeare's play, to get that history. I was also intrigued by the many ways in which the character had been played over history."

He said the play remained relevant, with anti-Semitism just as prevalent today.

"The President of Iran just said the state of Israel should be wiped off the face of the earth. I can't think of a statement more anti-Semitic than that although, technically, it is anti-Zionist."

As described by the Festival of the Performing Arts, has been well-received by audiences from around the world since Mr. Armstrong first took it to the stage.

"Gareth Armstrong has captivated audiences world-wide with this wonderfully engaging performance centred on Shakespeare's famous Jew. The play, a riveting one-man show which reveals the many layers of the figure of Shylock from Shakespeare's , challenges us to examine racism, scapegoating and anti-Semitism.

"Deftly switching from one role to another in his dramatisation of some of the well-known scenes, (he) brilliantly performs a fascinating drama, whilst illuminating us with aspects of our recent history, in this award-winning piece of theatre."

In the course of the evening, Mr. Armstrong portrays 15 different characters. Although the play is based in London, the actor frequently travels with it abroad. In the last few weeks, he has performed before audiences in such diverse places as Singapore and Beaver Creek, Colorado.

An important point, he feels, is that audiences need not have an appreciation or understanding of Jews or anti-Semitism in order to enjoy his performance.

"It's meant to be entertaining," he explained. "It is a piece of theatre. But Shylock's request for a pound of flesh can be viewed as a metaphor for what happens if you discount people and treat them as subhuman. Anti-Semitism is why Shylock is despised in the play but my take is it's the same for anyone who's marginalised or demoralised. There will always be a consequence to such actions.

"I've performed the play in India ? where people don't know what anti-Semitism is. The play is something that every society can relate to. It's a challenge every time I do it. Every audience is different and so each reward is different for me."

The writer insisted that he had allowed his Shylock to remain true to the character created by William Shakespeare, but had expanded a lesser figure in ? Tubal, Shylock's only friend, is also a Jew.

"He had only eight lines in and so I use him as my comic story teller to take the audience through Shylock's life and through various moments in history," Mr. Armstrong explained.

His captivation with Shylock extends beyond the stage ? the actor recently published a book,