THEATRE NEWS

TRAGEDY, misery, betrayal and revenge. And lust. Let’s not forget the lust. Oh, how we’ve missed Bard in the Botanics.

Featuring four contrasting productions, the 2022 season opens with a new production of the evergreen favourite, A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Jennifer Dick and starring Robert Elkin as Bottom, Bard’s first mainstage production of the play in over a decade.

And then we can push aside the very possibility that a little rain, wind or ambulance sirens will impact upon the psyche because Bard returns to the Kibble Palace, where Gordon Barr will direct a new version of Euripides’ Medea by playwright, Kathy McKean. It’s devised specifically for acclaimed actor Nicole Cooper.

This will be the Bard in the Botanics’ first foray into Greek tragedy. The second half of the season (July 14-30) sees Cooper make her directorial debut with a new production of The Tempest, also staged in the Kibble Palace, and featuring Alan Steele as Prospero.

The line-up for the 2022 season is completed with a new production of Gordon Barr’s ground-breaking take on Much Ado About Nothing. Bertram and Benedick return to the mainstage as the gay couple, the original rom-com with a twist.

“We are delighted to be returning to The Kibble Palace for this year’s season with productions that showcase the dramatic talent of one of Bard’s long-time core artists, Nicole Cooper, ” says Barr.

“We have been planning our first foray into Greek tragedy for three years and it is exciting to see this idea now coming to fruition.”

He added: “For our mainstage shows, comedy will be to the fore this year.”

But let’s not forget all that revenge, betrayal and lust.

Tickets for Bard in the Botanics, which runs from June 22, are available via www. bardinthebotanics.co.uk