Like theatre? Live in St Albans? Then you simply must go and see 4amcab’s Anna MacLeod Franklin rip up the stage as Queen Boudicca which is on at the Maltings Arts Theatre from 5th – 7th & 10th – 12th September. We spoke to Anna to get the lowdown:
4amcab: So what’s the play about?
Anna: It’s about the last days of the legendary Queen of the Iceni, Boudicca. The play opens with Boudicca at the height of her power, having sacked Colchester, London and Verulamium. However she faces conflicting choices with the Romans ready for pitched battle, should she evade, retreat, negotiate or meet the Romans head on? The play has been written by local novelist and playwright Imogen de la Bere, who is fabulous. She’s taken an interesting approach in modelling the structure of the play on the Greek form – having serious scenes between two or three characters interspersed by livelier ones – the chorus role in this case being taken by three roman soldiers who are prisoners of the Iceni and provide a running commentary in a lighter vein, however unlike the Greek model the soldiers are drawn into the story and become key players.
4amcab: And you have the title role?
Anna: I do! It’s a very exciting project from a personal point of view – I’ve wanted to play Boudicca since I was about 16, but being able to do so in a brand new play is a great privilege. Also the living history aspect of it is fascinating, there is still a layer of ash under St Albans left from when the real Boudicca razed it to the ground in about 60 AD. Being able to tell the story in the actual place where it happened is rather a thrill.
4amcab: You have original music and costumes too?
Anna: We’re incredibly lucky to have some fantastic local creatives on board. Local composer David Podd has written some beautiful original music for us, some of which has been recorded by counter-tenor Peter Crawford. And local fabric artist Patchwork Toad aka Tiggi Harding has designed some highly stylised costumes with her unique brand of edginess – Boudicca’s battle headpiece has to be seen to be believed.
4amcab: You have 6 dates booked, any plans to do more performances?
Anna: Absolutely! We’re hoping to do a larger scale open air performance in St Albans next year, and beyond that we may tour further afield.
4amcab: Break a leg!
Anna: Thanks! I hope not. I thought I’d broken my arm the other night in rehearsal when I died in an incredibly awkward position and when I got up my arm had gone all floppy and took twenty minutes to work again. Oh no I’ve given the ending away…….
Tickets are on sale here and cost £15 for unreserved seating.
