Boudica (NHB Modern Plays)

By Tristan Bernays

A brand-new ancient-history play in verse that tells the story of one of Britain's most iconic women: a queen, a warrior and a rebel.
AD 61, Britannia. On the furthest outreaches of the Roman Empire – at the very edge of the known world – rebellion is brewing.
The King of the Iceni has died and his widow, Boudica, has tried to claim her rightful throne. For her insolence in defying Rome, the queen has been flogged, her daughters have been raped, and they have been banished from their homeland. But now, Queen Boudica has returned. And this time she has an army.
She will have revenge. She will have blood. She will make Rome quake in fear.
Boudica by Tristan Bernays premiered at Shakespeare's Globe, London, in September 2017.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Release date: Oct 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781780019628

Tristan Bernays

Tristan Bernays is a writer and performer from London. His work includes Testament (VAULT Festival, London, 2017); Frankenstein (Watermill Theatre/Wilton’s Musical Hall); Teddy (Southwark Playhouse; Best New Musical at the 2016 Off West End Awards); The Bread and The Beer (Soho Theatre/UK tour); and Coffin (King’s Head Theatre, London).

Book preview

Tristan Bernays

BOUDICA

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Introduction

Original Production

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Characters

Time, Place and Pronunciation Guide

Boudica

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Introduction

It’s unusual to start a Monday morning at work watching Gina McKee cut out someone’s tongue – but that’s what’s been happening in this morning’s rehearsals, and I couldn’t be happier.

To be honest, I never dreamed I would be here in this rehearsal room. Before Boudica, I wrote a play called Teddy – a play unsurprisingly about Teddy boys in 1950s London. It was a firecracker of a show – very loud and exciting, but in reality, actually quite small. Just two actors playing all the characters. My show before that, The Bread & The Beer, was a one-man show about the ancient god of beer, sex and chaos, John Barleycorn, being dug up in modern-day London – again with just one performer (me, this time) playing all the parts.

So far, it had all been small plays. I was ready for something big. Something huge. Something epic. A multi-narrative, sweeping drama so large that no one would ever really produce it. It would basically be a calling card to show I could ‘write big’ so that, if any big theatres came a-knocking in some far- flung, misty future, I could send it to them.

And that’s where Boudica came in.

Many years ago, when I was still an actor, a close female friend and actor told me she was sick of not having the fun that her male counterparts got to have. Male actors get to have sword fights, gun battles, car chases. Most parts for women, she said (especially in Shakespeare and classical theatre), require them to be beautiful and witty in a pretty dress, before they die gracefully. Which is fucking boring.

Seven years later, when it came to writing this ridiculous epic I had planned, I remembered this conversation and realised I wanted to write something for women. Something where they got to play complex and difficult characters – not just two- dimensional heroes or villains. More than that, I wanted to write a show for women where they got to have the fun. Where they got to wield swords and lead armies. Fight and destroy. Kill and be killed. Something where they got be warriors.

What better story than Boudica’s?

Of course, no one would be foolish enough to produce a show which required around twenty characters, gods and queens and warriors and generals, sword and fist fights, buckets of blood and no less than three battles.

No one could be that foolish, surely?

Thank you to Emma Rice and Shakespeare’s Globe for being that foolish. For wanting to put strong and complex female characters front and centre. For trusting me with their incredible stage. For letting me run riot and bring the story of this extraordinary woman hurtling into the twenty-first century.

Boudica may be two thousand years old, but we need characters like her. Now more than ever.

Tristan Bernays

London, August 2017

Boudica was first performed at Shakespeare’s Globe, London, on 8 September 2017, with the following cast:

Acknowledgements

It takes an inordinately large number of people to get a play from page to stage, and I’d like to thank a few of them for their invaluable help, love and support:

Emma Rice – for programming us in the first place and letting us run riot in The Globe.

Matthew Dunster – for invaluable dramaturgical support.

Karishma Belani and Lottie Newth – for putting up with me during casting.

Jess Lusk – for being a woman who gets shit done.

Every staff member and volunteer at The Globe – for helping make this whole thing happen.

Eleanor Rhode – for continuing to work with me (despite all evidence suggesting she shouldn’t) and for doing such a wonderful job bringing my words to life.

The cast, crew and creative team – for making the show so damn awesome.

Sarah Loader – for helping to get Boudica up and running at the very beginning.

Simon McBurney – we’ve not met but I definitely owe him a beer.

My agent, Katie Langridge – for endless feedback, help, advice and a whole heap of other stuff.

All the actors who helped in workshops and readings – without your time and effort, we wouldn’t have got this far.

The London Library – there’s nowhere better in the world to write.

Lucy – for love, support and reminding me to enjoy myself. You’re good police, Champ.

Mum, Dad, Butts and Bakerloo – for not telling me to get a real job.

If I have forgotten anyone, please forgive me – I am a forgetful bugger.

T.B.

August 2017

This play is dedicated to women everywhere – now more than ever.

Characters

BRITONS

BOUDICA, Queen of the Iceni

BLODWYNN, Boudica’s daughter

ALONNA, Boudica’s daughter

CUNOBELINE, King of the Trinovantes

CLOTHEN, a Trinovantian lord

BADVOC, King of the Belgics

ANDRASTE, Goddess of Victory

GUNNERVIK, Tribal King

WAYLEN, Tribal King

GUARD

DRUID

WARRIOR WOMAN

ICENIAN WARRIORS

BELGIC WARRIORS

ROMANS

GAIUS SUETONIUS, a Roman General

CATUS DECIAMUS, Procurator of Britannia

SEJANUS, a Roman official

SILVIA, a captive Roman

CATO, Roman soldier

LUCIUS, Roman soldier

SESTUS, Roman soldier

CENTURION 1

CENTURION 2

MESSENGER

ROMAN WOMAN

Time

61 AD

Place

Brittania, on the furthest western borders of the Roman Empire

Pronunciation Guide

Andraste – An-drass-tay

Alonna – A-low-na

Cunobeline – Kew-know-beh-lean

Gaius Suetonis – Guy-us Sue-toe-knee-us

Catus Deciamus – Kay-tus De-see-ar-mus

Prasutagus – Pras-yew-tay-jus