The Herbal Bed (2015)
- 9th October: Eastgate Theatre
- 10th October: Eastgate Theatre
- 24th October: Corn Exchange, Biggar Little Festival, Biggar
Written by Peter Whelen
Directed by Kath Mansfield
The Herbal Bed written by Peter Whelan was performed by Shakespeare at Traquair at the Eastgate Theatre in Peebles in March 2005. Ten years later Kath Mansfield directed this play as part of our celebrations of our 20th year.
- 9th October: Eastgate Theatre
- 10th October: Eastgate Theatre
- 24th October: Corn Exchange, Biggar Little Festival, Biggar
1613: an atmosphere of intense religious puritanism. Susanna Hall, Shakespeare’s daughter, is publicly accused of adultery with family friend, Rafe Smith. Her husband, Dr John Hall, (a distinguished physician and herbalist) urges her to sue for slander in the court of Worcester Cathedral.
How can she explain Smith leaving the Garden surreptitiously one night when Dr Hall was away from home? The events of that fateful night are examined with searching scrutiny in this gripping thriller based on documented evidence.
The playwright explores this fact and creates a potential scenario based on this piece of church court documentation from the seventeenth century. Kath Mansfield is directing, having played Susanna ten years ago. Sara Innes is this production’s Susanna – the love interest of three men in the play: Jack (Michael Boyd); Rafe (James Aitken) and her husband, played by Les Morss.
