Boudicca at Verulamium

As we entered the large round house at Butser Ancient farm, we were greeted by subdued lighting, the smell of wood smoke, painted wall cloths hiding the galleried perimeter of the hut and a wooden cart in the centre of the rough-hewn chalk floor. This perfect setting added an extra dimension to Imogen de la Bere’s play that tells of the overwhelming desire of Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni, to drive the Romans out of Britain and restore the country fully to the land of her fathers. A drum-beat announced the entrance of the actors, promising a thrilling evening – and we were not disappointed.

The play is not for the faint-hearted, but from the opening words, it captured my imagination and held me enraptured until the end. It is an unusual play about Britons (and particularly women) fighting back against the Romans and it sees the struggle from many different viewpoints.

Clever direction is evident throughout, with maximum use being made of the minimal props and of the hut itself. As the action starts, the central cart is very cleverly transformed into a small stage, ensuring that everyone has a clear view of the action. Acoustics in the hut were superb and every word and grunt could be heard – even the birds outside (and inside) adding to the overall effect.

Karina Swann gave an utterly believable and commanding performance as Boudicca, really gaining our respect with tales of how she had had to harden her heart to be able to live through rape and succeed in brutal warfare – completely the equal of any male soldier and becoming one of the few people of that time remembered to this day. She was well matched by Hugo Deadman as her opponent Roman General Suetonius, keen to negotiate peace, and Kenn MacDonald, her ally British Chieftain Dumnovellaunos, who also favoured a quieter life. Both gave convincing performances, really bringing their characters to life.

The three captured Roman soldiers, Ben Gander as Lucius, Toby Williams as Titus and Norman Stuart as Gaius were equally well portrayed. They were totally convincing with their barrack room language, horsing around, lusting after the local women and longing to be back home. Ben Gander’s performance was particularly moving, regretting raping Boudicca’s daughter, while still proud that he had done his duty, and confused that he had not been executed. Stephanie Taylor gave a well observed portrait of Andraste, Boudicca’s daughter, tormenting Lucius with the knowledge that he had made her pregnant and that she had the power to end his life at any time.

Great praise must go to the whole back-stage team for creating such a simple but effective set, lighting it to perfection, and providing such appropriate costumes and props (although a couple of modern wedding rings did seem a little out of place) and to the make-up team for the very realistic body paint and injuries. The programme was colourful and well laid out, providing lots of additional interesting information.

An atmospheric setting, an excellent script, strong direction and superb acting made this a most memorable evening indeed.

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