THE tragic, funny and often unbelievable life of fiction's most famous Jew, Shylock, will entertain audiences at Pershore's Number 8 Community Arts Centre tonight.

Is Shylock a villain or a victim? Or something more intriguing? Gareth Armstrong's award-winning one-man play confronts and confounds the stereotypes through the eye of Shylock's only friend, and the only other Jewish man in the whole of Shakespeare, Tubal.

Promoted to centre stage from his minor role in The Merchant of Venice, Tubal proves to be a natural comic storyteller.

Celebrating the richness of Shakespeare's language and conjuring up a whole cast of characters from Portia to Pontius Pilate, from Antonio the merchant to Adolf Hitler and from Romeo to Max Reinhardt, this moving and often hilarious play is a fascinating exploration of Shylock and his people.

After the show, there will be a discussion for anyone keen to ask questions direct to the actor about the character, his play and his work.

Shylock comes to Number 8 Community Arts Centre on Thursday, April 6 at 7.30pm. Box office: 01386 555488.