Tuesday, June 16

Tag: Traquair House

The Taming of the Shrew – Traquair House
Scotland

The Taming of the Shrew – Traquair House

All the world's a stage, wrote Shakespeare, and nowhere does that feel truer than at Traquair. On a glorious Borders evening, with peacocks calling in the distance, goats grazing unconcernedly nearby, live musicians leading the audience from scene to scene, and performers appearing from every corner of Scotland's oldest inhabited house, Shakespeare's comedy becomes something far more than a play. It becomes an event. Director Kath Mansfield's production of The Taming of the Shrew is playful, joyful and bursting with life. Every corner of the estate is pressed into service, from formal gardens and winding pathways to the magnificent terraces in front of the house. Traquair itself becomes a cast member, its ancient walls, mature trees and carefully cultivated landscape providing a backdro...
The Merchant of Venice – Traquair House
Scotland

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 Shakespea...