Achi news desk-
This is Bard In The Botanics, which since 2002 has staged productions of Shakespeare’s plays in the leafy surroundings of Glasgow Botanic Gardens. To date there have been 100 productions and they have been enjoyed by over 150,000 people. The plays are fantastic – the only variable is the weather – and this year’s program marks Artistic Director Gordon Barr’s 21st year at the helm.
When is it?
This year’s program has just been revealed and will run from June 19 to July 27. The first two productions will run from opening night until July 6 before the second two open on July 11 for the duration of the run.
What’s on?
This year’s program presents a never-before-performed Shakespeare play in Bard In The Botanics – The Merry Wives Of Windsor, the 1597 work that set Sir John Falstaff free on a world without evil. In this version, however, Windsor has been swapped for somewhere a little closer to Glasgow – Wishaw – and the leave clause ‘free to adapt from’ has been added. Also in the program is Measure For Measure, one of the playwright’s darkest comedies. It will be performed at the Kibble Palace Conservatory from 11 July. Preceding it in the same space is an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play from 1891 Hedda Gabler, one of the theatre’s great female roles. It is presented in Glasgow in a new version written by the highly successful playwright Kathy McKean. Finally there is an adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s iconic 1847 novel Jane Eyre, adapted to Scotland and written and directed by Bard In The Botanics Associate Director Jennifer Dick. This will be the first adaptation of a novel to be staged on the outdoor stage.
Who is in them?
Following her acclaimed performance in last year’s Medea, Bard In The Botanics award-winning regular Nicole Cooper takes the lead role in Hedda Gabler, to be directed by Gordon Barr. Stephanie McGregor takes the lead role in Jane Eyre and will also play Isabella in Measure For Measure, while the role of Flastaff in The Merry Wives Of Wishaw once again goes to Alan Steele following his success in the same role in the production last year of Henry IV. .
What are they saying?
“It’s great that, in our third decade of work, we’re still able to bring a Shakespeare title to audiences who haven’t seen it before,” said Gordon Barr. “This will be the first time Bard in the Botanics has staged The Merry Wives Of Windsor or, as it is in this version, The Merry Wives Of Wishaw once again offering a platform to the extraordinary comic talent of Alan Steele as the iconic Falstaff.” He adds: “Mesure to Mesur is a play which, unfortunately, never feels anything other than completely contemporary and as society continues to fight against men’s abuse of their power over women, it remains frighteningly relevant to today – and a worthy addition to a season. exploring the experience of women.”
When do tickets go on sale?
Booking opens on Monday April 29 and tickets range in price from £15 to £28, with all tickets for Tuesday performances costing £19.
