The Merchant of Venice, Botanic Gardens

Star rating; **** After a couple of nights of cancelled performances and inclement weather, it was the perfect night on Friday for some al fresco Shakespeare. This is the seventh year of Bard in the Botanics and - apart from for hayfever sufferers and those intolerant of midges - it is becoming the must-do event of the summer, even if there has been recent competition from touring Globe Theatre outdoor productions.