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‘EACH OF SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS BRINGS NEW CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES’ Hitlist THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE*
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A distraught King Lear (George Docherty) carries Cordelia (Camille Marmié) in Gordon Barr’s production
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Let’s go outside
As Bard in the Botanics unveils arguably its most ambitious programme to date artistic director Gordon Barr discusses the festival’s appeal with David Pollock
‘E very new play I’m approaching is what keeps me excited by this job,’ says Gordon Barr, artistic director of Bard in the Botanics. ‘Each of Shakespeare’s plays brings new challenges and opportunities because every one is so rich in elements that any director would love to get a hold of, whether that’s out and out farce or the depths of the human self.’
Barr’s passion is shared by the audiences who have made Bard in the Botanics such a summer institution. A year short of its tenth anniversary, BitB has been steered by Barr for the past seven years – this year he tackles what might well be its most challenging bill yet. Over five weeks the 29-strong company will be staging a run of four plays, the centrepieces being King Lear and Twelfth Night, both directed by Barr.
‘We haven’t reached rehearsals for Twelfth Night yet,’ says Barr at time of going to press, ‘but King Lear is coming along really well. When you have a text that’s so rich it’s a joy to work on, and part of the enjoyment is watching the actors grab a hold of it, particularly considering its reputation.’ Rounding off the bill this year will be Titus Andronicus and a specially adapted piece called Queen Margaret. The latter is a three-hander from Bard in the Botanics’ associate director Jennifer Dick, which traces the titular character through her appearances in several of Shakespeare’s plays, from Henry VI to Richard III. ‘It’s all Shakespearean text,’ says Barr. ‘I want to say it’s bits of the plays, but that makes it sound rather chopped up. Her story actually travels on a rather clear narrative through the piece.’
Titus Andronicus, meanwhile, is part of BitB’s emerging artists scheme, and will be directed by New Yorker Mark Silberschatz. A postgraduate student at the RSAMD, Silberschatz has staged Shakespeare in his home city. Barr describes the opportunity to invite young professionals to extend their working knowledge of Shakespeare with Bard in the Botanics as one of the most rewarding aspects of his tenure. Reflecting on the upcoming tenth anniversary, he points out that there’s plenty of life in the concept yet, with barely half of Shakespeare’s plays having been performed so far. ‘There’s a real immediacy to an outdoor performance of Shakespeare,’ he says, ‘because the barrier between company and audience is removed, so it’s an active relationship that’s much more an approximation of how these performances worked in Shakespeare’s day.
Does he have any plans for the anniversary next year? ‘Well, we’ve never wanted to be the kind of outdoor Shakespeare company that just performs Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream over and over again and we’ve performed most of the major tragedies including Macbeth and now King Lear, so hopefully Hamlet won’t be too far away. Planning this is a year-round business, though, so that could change at any time.’
All shows at the Botanic Gardens, Glasgow. King Lear, Wed 23 Jun–Sat 10 Jul; Queen Margaret, Thu 24 Jun–Fri 9 Jul; Twelfth Night, Wed 14–Sat 31 Jul; Titus Andronicus, Tue 20–Sat 31 Jul.
✽✽ The Caretaker London Classic Theatre revives its acclaimed production of Harold Pinter’s classic as the company embarks on its tenth anniversary tour. See preview, page 84. Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, Fri 25 & Sat 26 Jun. ✽✽ Decky Does a Bronco Tenth anniversary outdoor production of Douglas Maxwell’s first play that’s currently touring throughout Scotland before a run at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Various venues across the UK until September. See www.gridiron.org.uk for full schedule. ✽✽ King Lear Bard in the Botanics kicks off the summer in style with an impressive programme that includes arguably Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy. See preview, left. Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasgow, until Sat 10 Jul. ✽✽ The Pillowman Strathclyde Theatre Group presents this new production of Martin McDonagh’s modern classic about a writer living in a totalitarian state whose stories appear to mirror a series of brutal child slayings. Ramshorn Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 29 Jun–Sat 3 Jul. ✽✽ New Works New Worlds The annual festival of new performance, visual art, writing and music which explores connections between the artist and their place in the wider world. See preview, page 84. Arches, Glasgow, Wed 30 Jun–Sat 3 Jul. ✽✽ Will You Be My Guinea Pig? Multi-visual performance for ages 0–4. See picture caption, page 86. Tramway, Glasgow, Fri 2 & Sat 3 Jul. ✽✽ Valhalla! Andy Arnold directs Paul Rudnick’s comic romp that draws parallels between ‘Mad’ King Ludwig of Bavaria and a young misfit in 1940s redneck Texas. See preview, page 84. Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 6–Sat 24 Jul. 24 Jun–8 Jul 2010 THE LIST 83