Address: 5 DYAKON IGNATIY STR., SOFIA 1000 | Event Map | Venue Accessibility

Language: Bulgarian with English subtitles

In this rendition of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, performed in Bulgarian with English translation by Alexander Shurbanov, we explore the hidden factors that contribute to conflicts supposedly rooted in cultural, ethnic, religious and gender differences.

Special attention is given to the linguistic disparities that emerge in our interconnected world. In the initial iteration of the project, tentatively titled ‘Sephardic’, certain characters express themselves in their native languages during particular scenes. This serves the purpose of concealing their conversations from others, remaining true to their roots and challenging the prevailing language of their host country.

Thus, speaking in places in Judeo-Spanish (Ladino), in Arabic and in Aragonese, the characters of the play often willingly become incomprehensible to the other characters, but also to the audience, to whom the meaning of what is spoken must be communicated through subtitles to compensate for the linguistically produced effect of alienation, which aims to confront us with an encounter with the ‘others’ in their personal life-world and their own small linguistic environments amid global Babylon.

Duration: 1h40m
Genre: Theatre 
Price: 30 лв. / €15

Credits: 

Director: Javor Gardev
Original text by: William Shakespeare
Translation Bulgarian - English: Alexander Shurbanov
Translation English - Judeo-Spanish (Ladino): Daisy Braverman
Translation English - Arabic: Khalil Mutran

The production includes texts by Gaius Valerius Catullus, Guido Cavalcanti, Pierre de Ronsard, Edmund Spenser, and Heinrich Heine, as well as excerpts from the French translation of the play by François Pierre Guillaume Guizot, the German translation, by August Wilhelm von Schlegel, and the Italian, by Carlo Rusconi.

Get in touch

Status: Available for local versions and ready for touring

How to book?

Tickets are available for purchase through the National theatre ticketing platform. 

Book your ticket

• After being redirected to the National Theater for the selected show, use your desired browser settings to translate the page from Bulgarian to English or your preferred working language.
• While the website has an English version, it is advisable to remain on the Bulgarian version to purchase tickets. Please note that you may need to translate the screen each time you are redirected.
• Underneath the picture of the performance, you will be able to select the desired date of the show. In order to purchase the tickets, you will have to create an account or log in to an already existing one.
• After creating an account you will have the option to select which seats you want for the performance. Once you’ve selected your seats, click on ‘Add to cart’ at the very bottom of the screen.
• You will be redirected to the confirmation page which shows an overview of your chosen tickets and the payment. To confirm, click on payment at the bottom of the screen and you’ll be taken to the payment screen, which accepts all major credit cards. 
• After successful payment, the system will return you to the theater's website, where you will receive the e-ticket you purchased, which you can directly print or download in PDF format. It is not sent by email.