Arts

Botanic Gardens to host a twilight Twelfth Night performance

Shakespeare’s heartwarming comedy Twelfth Night will be performed outside as part of the Lumina series on the Gardens’ Palm House lawns.

Image credit: Shakespeare South Australia

South Australia’s newest and only operational State-based Shakespeare theatre company will launch with an awarded cast in Australia’s first ecotheatrical Shakespeare production in October 2021.

The play is a part of the Botanic Gardens’ Botanica Lumina night-time festival, supported by SA Power Networks. Shakespeare’s heartwarming comedy Twelfth Night will be performed outside as part of the Lumina series on the Gardens’ Palm House lawns.

Directed by Britt Plummer and Jess Clough Macrae, the five performance production, running from October 27 to October 30, comprises of an array of multi-award-winning ensemble alongside a South Australian cast with an orginal score. Tickets cost $45.

Shakespeare South Australia Artistic Director and Monash-Warwick Alliance Shakespeare PhD Candidate Alys Daroy says that ecotheatrical productions are a key movement influencing stages around the world.

“The springtime Botanic Gardens at night lend themselves perfectly to Twelfth Night’s vibrant settings and botanical motifs, offering a sensory atmosphere enhanced through biophilic design scenography and music,” says Daroy.

“There is a global trend emerging toward theatrical productions that are not only more environmentally sustainable, but also enhance audiences’ connection with the natural world.”

“Organisations such as Shakespeare’s Globe, London and the Royal Shakespeare Company are exploring Shakespeare’s work in new ways for its capacity to inform our delicate and fraught relationship to environments and other species.”

Public Programs at the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium manager Christine Schloithe says the production is the ultimate way to end this season’s Botanica Lumina program.

“What better way to enjoy this classic Shakespeare comedy than under the stars and surrounded by the smells and sounds of nature.”

“It’s a wonderful way to welcome the warmer months as the Botanica Lumina program comes to a close, and we’re delighted to be working with Shakespeare South Australia to bring this fabulous theatrical performance to the public,” continues Schloithe.

Before and during the performance, patrons will be able to enjoy a pre-ordered gourmet picnic box, food from a short-order menu and a cocktail-wine bar by The Gardens Kiosk, Café and Events.

Adelaide-raised Daroy returned from London during Covid last year, where she was working as Shakespeare’s Globe’s ecotheatre consultant and as a classical actor across the UK. Surprised to find that SA’s world-leading and vibrant arts scene lacked an active Shakespeare company, Daroy founded Shakespeare South Australia to bring a fresh approach to classic plays in iconic South Australian outdoor environments.

The Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium (BGSH) comprises three beautiful public gardens, Botanic Park, the State Herbarium and the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre. The institution has provided visitors with a range of cultural, recreational, educational and scientific facilities for more than 160 years. Botanica Lumina is a creatively curated program of after-dark events that take place in Adelaide Botanic Garden.

Spanning Adelaide’s cooler months from April to October, Botanica Lumina offers something for everyone with an assortment of music, art, film, food and cultural experiences for all ages and interests.

Botanica Lumina’s Twelfth Night production is supported by SA Power Networks, Lot Fourteen’s newest tenant, LVX Global, Ene.Hub, as well as East End restaurants Amalfi, Mum Cha and Mothervine.

Twelfth Night is running as part of Botanica Lumina from Wednesday, October 27 to Saturday, October 30.

Tickets cost $45 and can be purchased here

Keep up to date with Shakespeare South Australia online and on Facebook.

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