Bard in the Botanics: A Festival in Review

As Bard in the Botanics hits its thirteenth year, it doesn’t show signs of stopping. While sifting through William Shakespeare's 'back catalogue' might not be everyone's idea of a good time, the open-air theatre seems to work its magic, although it's hard to discern whether the people who turn up are exclusively a Bard in the Botanics crowd, or a mix of regular theatre-goers and lovers of the Botanic Gardens. Either way, the calm of the park and the proximity of the actors creates the effect of in-your-face theatre that is engaging, without the seriousness or formality that Shakespeare is treated with so often. 

For the Shakespeare fanatics, the source text is greatly respected throughout the Bard in the Botanics season. From The Comedy of Errors to Hamlet, it's obvious the actors learn their lines, which frees them up to actually focus on acting without worrying about the complications of the Yoda-like language. This seems even more important as the limited (in relation to an indoor theatre) sets and props don't give the actors much to hide behind. Productions accommodate a variety of acting experiences, giving a goodly number of Royal Conservatoire Students – or emerging artists like the Wilderness of Tigers – a chance to play in front of a live audience, whose reactions they can observe, since the lack of house lights means most of the lighting is natural and, during a Scottish summer, this can extend to 9 or 10 o'clock at night. 

The only downside is the festival's reliance on precarious Scottish weather, meaning that a production can be cancelled on the day due to rain, even if the entire week is sunny. Nonetheless, this is an experience for both die-hard Shakespeare fans and those new to Shakespeare, as the Bard in the Botanics programme provides for a variety of tastes and ages; comedy, tragedy, and historic plays with more than 40 productions' experience to go on, and many more scripts left to tackle. What's more, it's outdoors, and perhaps one of the best forms Shakespeare can be consumed in, understood, and appreciated: through the magic of live acting.