THE National Theatre will play host to Gayina Pound of Flesh, an original African adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, on August 1-2, 2026.
The play which will show again on August 8 and 9, is a production of Image Bureau and April Communications.
The production, which will have two performances each day at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., explores religious intolerance, revenge, justice and forgiveness through a contemporary Ghanaian lens.
Set in present-day Kumasi, Gayina’s Pound of Flesh follows Efo Gayina, a traditional moneylender whose indigenous faith has made him the target of ridicule for years.
However, when one of the very people who has publicly mocked him later turns to him for financial assistance, Gayina agrees to provide the loan on one shocking condition: if the money is not repaid on time, he will claim a pound of flesh.
The play draws inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, in which the moneylender Shylock lends money to the merchant Antonio on the condition that he may claim a pound of Antonio’s flesh if the loan is not repaid.
The agreement eventually leads to a dramatic courtroom trial that raises questions about justice, mercy, prejudice and revenge.
Although Gayina’s Pound of Flesh has been described as the first original African adaptation of The Merchant of Venice, George Quaye in a chat with Daily Graphic insists the production is ultimately not about Shakespeare.
“It’s about us,” he says.
“It’s about the things we say to each other every day. It’s about how we dismiss people because of their beliefs, tribes or backgrounds, and then become surprised when those same people refuse to show us compassion,” he adds.
The production also avoids presenting its characters as clearly defined heroes or villains.
“Everyone in this story believes they’re right,” George explains.
“That’s what makes it so uncomfortable. The audience will leave the theatre arguing about who was actually right.”
Aside humour and courtroom suspense, Gayina Pound of Flesh confronts the prejudices and contradictions that shape human relationships, asking audiences to consider how easily ridicule can turn into resentment and how the people society dismisses may one day become the people it needs most.
