Shakespeare with scenery: this year’s Bard in the Botanics

What better setting to experience theatre in, is there than an intimate outdoor space?

The West End festival has been going now for 23 years and isn’t showing any signs of disappearing.

Over the past two decades, they’ve put on over 100 productions and have been host to award-winning actors such as Nicole Cooper.

This year’s Bard in the Botanics wears the name “Her Infinite Variety.”

I had a chat with Gordon Barr who’s the artistic director of the festival about the importance of Shakespeare: “He is the great humanist Shakespeare. He expresses something about the human condition in a way that I don’t think any other writer, certainly in the English language, has ever managed to do.

“He really gets to the heart of what it means to be human. And so that is, for me, what speaks across the centuries. And how we approach the plays is important, and we look at how we’re going to put them on stage, how we’re going to tell these stories to an audience, then then we want to find the parallels, the connections, the things that will make these plays live and breathe for an audience now, but that’s, that’s what’s important to me.

“I think, is that nobody else has expressed the human condition in the way that Shakespeare’s writing does.”

Adapting these plays for the modern era is what keeps productions like these alive and relatable for a current audience.

It seems both the festival and Shakespeare aren’t going anywhere soon either with Bard in the Botanics’ audience only growing.

They’ve served over 150,000 people and Gordon described the festival as ‘thriving’ despite not receiving any subsidiaries from Creative Scotland.

This season of Bard in the Botanics will comprise of four plays, Hedda Gabler, Measure for Measure, and new adaptations of the Merry Wives of Windsor, and Jane Eyre.

A new version of Hedda Gabler has been written by Kathy McKean and will be performed with an excellent cast including Nicole Cooper.

This isn’t the first time Both McKean and Cooper have done work for the festival.

They were both integral parts of the festival’s award-winning production of Medea which was performed in 2022.

Measure for Measure has received a new adaptation too by Jennifer Dick, the festival’s Associate Director.

I asked Jennifer what they’re aiming to achieve from this season’s performances: “My favourite thing about Bard in the Botanics is the relationship with the audience. 

“They don’t disappear behind the lights – either outdoors or in the Kibble Palace – so they are absolutely part of the performance. 

“That explicit connection with the audience makes shows at Bard in the Botanics feel incredibly alive, and that is thrilling.” 

This year the festival will also see a very exciting adaptation of Jane Eyre created by Jennifer.

The main change to the Bronte classic will be its setting, with that now being in Scotland.

In keeping with the Scottish theme will be The Merry Wives of Wishaw, which is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor.

I asked Gordon about the productions this year and he’s excited about what Jennifer’s 15 years of directing will bring to the stage: “She’s bringing a completely different perspective as a female director to the show and to the play, and that’s, that’s really exciting for me. 

“I’m always to see how a new production of a play will pan out.”

Keeping the productions fresh, current, and relatable is at the heart of what Bard in the Botanics is all about.

They regularly return to old plays and give them a fresh coat of paint with new directors and performers. 

It would appear the festival could see a change in direction with a bigger focus on plays outwith Shakespeare’s canon.

I asked Jennifer about what audiences can expect to see in following years and she said: “I’m excited to expand the scope of the stories we tell in the future. We’ll always keep Shakespeare at the heart of the summer season, but there’s so many fascinating possibilities to explore as we move into presenting other classics.”

I also asked Gordon about the state of theatre in Scotland as a whole, he had this to say: “I want to see more support being provided for the arts, it’s difficult times. 

“It’s difficult times for Creative Scotland to support all of the work that wants to be done, it’s difficult times for councils to support local arts. 

You know, there’s significant cuts being made to arts budgets across in councils across the country, and I think that’s a terrible shame. I think the arts and theatre I should be for everyone”

You can buy tickets for this year’s plays here: https://www.bardinthebotanics.co.uk/

But keep in mind they are set outdoors so make sure you pack a jacket as the weather can be unpredictable.