Set in the beautiful gardens at The Holburne and featuring high-energy, contemporary adaptations of British literary classics, family-friendly humour, live music, and on-site dining, The Garden Theatre Festival is a beloved night-out in Bath.
Six years on since it first launched, India Farnham chats to festival co-founder Matt Emeny about keeping the magic alive.
We’re not short of annual cultural events here in Bath, are we? We have the Bath Festivals, Bath Boules, the Jane Austen Festival, and, come wintertime, the Christmas market. Phew! And that’s to name but a few. But don’t consider yourself booked up on annual fun just yet.
This summer, The Garden Theatre Festival, Bath’s only purpose-built open-air theatre event, is back for its sixth year – bigger, better, and even more comfortable – and co-founder Matt Emeny is determined to solidify the event’s place in our cultural calendars once and for all.
“Since we started, our mission has always been to make the festival a landmark summer event in Bath. We knew it would take at least 10 years to achieve that, but now we’re into the second half of that decade, and I think it’s starting to happen.”
Past shows have included Pride and Prejudice, a take on Sherlock Holmes, and various works of Shakespeare. What can we expect to see this year?
“This year we’re doing The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by the brilliant Sam Freeman, and also, after the success of Pride and Prejudice, another Austen: Sense and Sensibility, which I’m directing. They’re both in house style, so you can expect lots of live music and lots of multi-rolling, as is tradition.”
Strong choices! I ask Matt what drew him back to the Jane Austen universe again. “Well, firstly, Jane Austen’s fans are amazing – they’re such a loyal following. We even have a saying within The Production Garden for when we spot someone in Regency clothing in the audience, we call it ‘seeing a lost Jane!’”
“But really, I chose Sense and Sensibility because it showcases Austen’s satire writing. At the start of the show, we are told the Dashwood sisters have been left impoverished by their father’s death, when in actuality, they’re upset they’re only going to have a small mansion with just two servants. It’s comedy gold.”
Such iconic source material calls for adaptable, experienced actors, and Matt’s got a band of four of them right up his sleeve: The Garden Theatre Festival troupe.
“We’re starting to grow a fanbase around our troupe now, people who get excited to see these actors take on new roles. And they really are integral to the festival, not only are they part of the creation process, but they also essentially self-stage-manage.”
A 2026 refresh
Have there been any upgrades to the festival for 2026?
“Absolutely. We always say the festival is going to be bigger and better every year. And every year, it is!
“There’re a few upgrades to the festival this year. First off, we used to use a traditional stage, with a fourth wall. This time, we’re breaking that down, and doing all our performances in the round, so everyone is brought in closer to the action.
“We also have a great new hot food partnership with Grayson’s, who will be putting on barbeques every weekend. We’re really pleased about this because it means now, you can truly just turn up to the festival without having to bring anything. If you need dinner, you can get that inside. If you need to get a deck chair or blankets, you can hire that from us. It’s the most comfortable it has ever been.”
Testament to The Garden Theatre Festival’s growth is the exciting news that this year the festival will run for four weeks, instead of just two and a half. I consider momentarily that this new duration might be quite tough on The Garden Theatre Festival team’s energy levels, but Matt immediately reassures me.
“During the festival, the theatre just becomes your life – you don’t do anything else. I’m in my element when I’m outside and I’m just living and breathing the show, and I think the team feel the same. Hopefully one day we’ll run for two months!”
It’s a tradition
As much as Matt wants to invite new punters to join in the fun at The Holburne, he also delights in seeing familiar faces at the shows.
“We have some really great core patrons at The Garden Theatre Festival, punters who will book their tickets the day they come out, who have their own traditions when the festival is on. They’ve been part of our journey since the day it started, back when I was running around keeping audience members two metres apart during COVID.”
Matt, a skilled actor in his own right (“I’ve reclaimed the phrase ‘jack of all trades and master of none’… now I’m the master of the jack of all trades!”), has graduated from acting in his shows to being purely the creative behind them.
I wonder how this development has changed his experience of the festival over time.
“It’s a different sort of nerves, but ultimately, every time I put on a show, I think to myself ‘is this the time everyone’s going to realise I’m not funny?’ Whether I’m acting or I’m backstage, watching the joke be delivered, I always relax after the first laugh.”
I dare Matt to think beyond the first laugh, into the future. How will he know that The Garden Theatre Festival’s sixth year has been successful?
“If people come?” he offers, modestly. He continues, “I suppose, at the end of July, we’d like to step back and go, okay, six years in, the people of Bath really want this event.”
We most certainly do. And what about future shows – are there more Austen adaptions on the cards?
“Oh yeah, of course! Next year we’re going to do Emma. And then I think I might just adapt them all.”
Well, watch this space, folks. When Matt Emeny says he’s going to do something, he’ll sure as anything make it happen.
The Garden Theatre Festival will run from 2 – 26 July at The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath.
Tickets are available at gardentheatrefest.com