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  • Essay / Queen Boudica at the Globe Theatre

    Based on the extraordinary historical legend of the queen of the British Celtic tribe Iceni, Trisian Bernays Boudica, played by Gina McKee, immerses you in a rebellion you didn't know you wanted to do part of.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay When King Prasutagus, the king of the Iceni tribe, died, his wife, the rightful queen Boudica, returned home to claim her throne. She has lived in the forest in self-imposed exile for many years with her two daughters, Blodwynn the eldest played by Natalie Simpson and Alonna, played by Joan Lyiola, to teach them the importance of self and the skills they will need to leader one day. Upon her return, Catus Deciamus, a sumptuously well-dressed Roman prosecutor, beautifully executed by Samuel Collings, greets her, but not in a way one would expect a queen to be greeted. He informs the queen that due to her late husband's spending habits, she and her daughters have no right to what is rightfully theirs, and as if that wasn't atrocious enough for Catus's pleasure, they were no longer citizens of Rome, but property. After the shame of what happened to her right and the abuse she and her daughters suffered. Queen Boudica is faced with a choice, slavery or rebellion, and if McKee's portrait of the feminist icon had chosen the former of the two, director Eleanor Rode wouldn't have much of a story to translate visually on the world-famous stage of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Tom Piper, the designer of this production, has cleverly created a set that is both visually stimulating for the audience's imagination but minimalist enough to keep the stage open for practical uses. This comes into play several times throughout the production, whether it be for the production's opening scene with three Roman soldiers standing guard, sarcastically expressing their love of the British Isles, British weather and women British. Or when Queen Boudica gruesomely cuts out the tongue of a Roman soldier in the center of the Globe's iconic stage so that not only can the audience see the rebellion in all its glory, but if they get too close they risk walking away with some of it on their clothes too as a souvenir. One time where the use of scenery really stood out both visually and technically was when Queen Boudica and her rebellion entered the scene in full force with their chaotic attack with wooden planks falling one by one , revealing each member of the Celtic tribes who have joined in her vengeance by taking back what the Romans had taken from her. Once the doors of the "Palaces" are knocked down, she appears on stage, engulfed in smoke, light shining behind her, with just the silhouette of Queen Boudica standing on a chariot. We're not sure if this is a connection to the London-based Boudica statue, but it was perfect. And there she was, the rightful queen. The lighting was simply incredible for this victorious moment, creating an atmospheric gift that you just have to experience for yourself. Another important moment where landscape and lighting come together well is when fallen wooden planks are used to create the illusion of trees. in the forest, and it's one of the last times we see our Queen Boudica. Without giving too much away to those who don't know Boudica's story (but if you know the story, you certainly know the ending of this heroic tale), it's a very heartbreaking scene where the play of colors of the lights of the blue to red match perfectly.