The bard is back in botanic gardens

SHAKESPEAREAN theatre is returning to Buninyong Botanic Gardens this weekend and next.

The Bard in Buninyong is set to stage The Two Noble Kinsmen over eight performances from tonight, which director Susan Pilbeam describes as a “tragi-comic action romance.”

“It’s an old story about two men that fall in love with the same woman, and it actually has the line, ‘I saw her first,’ in it, which is incredible,” she said.

“They’re blood brothers, cousins, and completely devoted to each other, but this tears them apart, and they end up in a duel to the death over her.

“There’s also a sub-plot, because it’s Shakespeare, which is about the jailer’s daughter who falls in love with one of the princes, but of course, he doesn’t know that she’s alive.”

Fifteen local actors are part of The Two Noble Kinsmen’s cast, alongside seven young people as Amazons, and Pilbeam encourages audiences to come out and see them in action in the heritage garden.

“A lot of people don’t know about this space, which is a lovely intimate place to play a show,” she said.

Actor Zoe James is bringing Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, to life.

“I’m enjoying playing a really strong, female character and having a lot of fun with it too,” she said.

“The last Shakespeare we staged was A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2020, and it’s so nice to be back performing in the space.

“The Two Noble Kinsmen is a play that hasn’t been done a lot, and I hadn’t heard of it, so come along and see it.”

Live musical entertainment by local artists and groups goes before and after each performance with funding support from Community Bank Buninyong.

The Two Noble Kinsmen runs this weekend and next. Visit bit.ly/3lnzOmw for tickets and times.