The Merchant of Venice – Traquair House
Regardless of the weather, you know summer’s arrived when outdoor Shakespeare comes around. And of all the venues, Traquair House is surely the loveliest and most apposite in the Scottish borders. Shakespeare at Traquair is a promenade production, moving from one picturesque location to another, with the mewling peacocks providing an atmospheric soundscape. The night we were there, once the shower of rain had passed, we were relentlessly midged for the rest of the evening. But such are the joys of outdoor theatre in Scotland, and it’s a testament to the competence of the large cast that I only saw one young person reacting to the pesky wee blighters. In any case, they did little to detract from the enjoyment of this fine production of the Shakespe...