In a faraway palace, a wealthy heiress is looking for a husband. At home a wealthy merchant is looking for a loan. Everyone’s out to make a killing, but everything comes at a price.

Shakespeare’s much-loved play, The Merchant of Venice, and the full cast has now been announced for Rupert Goold’s take on the production, which will run at the Almeida Theatre in London’s Islington until Valentine’s Day, 2015. Ian McDiarmid is set to play Shylock, alongside Susannah Fielding and Scott Handy, who reprise their roles as Portia and Antonio. The company also includes Vinta Morgan, Vincenzo Nicoli, Finlay Robertson, Raphael Sowole, Tim Steed, Jonathan Tafler, Anthony Welsh, Tom Weston-Jones and original Royal Shakespeare Company cast members Jamie Beamish, Rebecca Brewer, Caroline Martin and Emily Plumtree.