Glasgow festival first as 'world's most famous detective' makes debut
Now, 25 years on, he is bringing them back to the popular outdoor Shakespeare festival, which kicks off later this month in the Botanic Gardens in the West End.
'A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet sparked a life-long love of Shakespeare,' he explains.
Gordon Barr (Image: Bard in the Botanics)
'His plays have such incredible depth that no matter how often you return to them there is always more to discover.'
Gordon adds: 'It is a great pleasure to revisit these two plays for the 2025 season, with more than two decades of experience under my belt.'
Bard in the Botanics has announced its Magic, Mayhem and Murder season will open on June 27 and run until August 2.
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Bard company stalwart Alan Steele plays Bottom with festival regulars James Boal and Claire Macallister as Oberon and Titania.
(Image: Bard in the Botanics)
Gordon says the production 'draws on Celtic and British folklore to create a magical version of the evergreen comedy.'
The second half of the season, which starts on July 18, includes a new production of Gordon's five-hander Romeo and Juliet, which was last staged in 2012. Sam Stopford takes on the role of Romeo with Lola Aluko as Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet (Image: Bard in the Botanics)
In the Kibble Palace glasshouse, Jennifer Dick will direct a new production of her adaptation of Marlowe's Dr Faustus with Adam Donaldson as Faustus and Sam Stopford as Mephistopheles, and in the second half of the season, she will present Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia.
Dr Faustus (Image: Bard in the Botanics)
Bard in the Botanics is not just about Shakespeare, points out Gordon.
'Whilst Shakespeare remains at the heart of Bard in the Botanics, as we continue to explore more of the canon of classic drama and literature, it's exciting to bring the work of another Scottish author to our stages – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,' he says.
Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia (Image: Bard in the Botanics)
'His Sherlock Holmes stories have delighted generations of readers and I can't wait for our associate director, Jennifer Dick, to bring three of those stories to life in the Kibble Palace in a brand new play featuring the world's foremost consulting detective.
'This season is full of great stories – some of the best and most enduring stories ever told. From the iconic lovers of Romeo and Juliet to Faustus' pact with the devil to the thrilling adventures of Sherlock Holmes, there's really something for everyone.'
For more information and tickets, visit the Bard in the Botanics website.
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