Boudica, Shakespeare's Globe

[dani]

I am interested in going to this, but am unfamiliar with the writer. It seems a risk to let someone untested loose in this space, or maybe I've missed something and he's more proven than I know. I like Gina McKee a lot, which is, along with the subject matter, my motivation for going. First preview tonight, so I am interested to hear reactions.

[barelyathletic]

Have read this and really enjoyed it. Though I think it will divide opinion. I thought it was gripping and entertaining. Not subtle, but it tells a very good story and tells it well. The casting of Gina McKee is unexpected but I think could be fascinating. If you like your entertainment big and bold and bloody then this could be for you. Interesting writer and a good director. Booked a group for next weekend and looking forward to it. It will be fascinating come Monday to find out what people think.

[firefingers]

Ooo am I first seeing this? Smashing.

I bloody loved this. First time at The Globe in 10 plus years (went on a school trip to some very dry Shakespeare went I was a lad) and being stood in the yard in the drizel did make me wonder if I was mad, but the show was fantastic from start to end. Great book, I think written mainly or completely in iambic pentameter (I wasnt playing close enough attention to be sure) telling a story I remember from school: British warrior queen takes on the Roman empire. Fantastic fight choreo that had us groundlings ducking for cover. Worth it for the act 1 closing scene alone. Both looked and sounded epic too. Pretty bonkers in parts, but in a good way. As said above not the most subtle of shows, but a very thrilling experience.

Deserves to be as big as Nell Gwynn in my opinion.

[peggs]

Sept 10, 2017 21:28:51 GMT firefingers said:

Fantastic fight choreo that had us groundlings ducking for cover.

I do enjoy partaking of a bit of groundling ducking when the fights get rather close.

[foxa]

Sept 10, 2017 21:28:51 GMT firefingers said:

Ooo am I first seeing this? Smashing.

I bloody loved this. First time at The Globe in 10 plus years (went on a school trip to some very dry Shakespeare went I was a lad) and being stood in the yard in the drizel did make me wonder if I was mad, but the show was fantastic from start to end. Great book, I think written mainly or completely in iambic pentameter (I wasnt playing close enough attention to be sure) telling a story I remember from school: British warrior queen takes on the Roman empire. Fantastic fight choreo that had us groundlings ducking for cover. Worth it for the act 1 closing scene alone. Both looked and sounded epic too. Pretty bonkers in parts, but in a good way. As said above not the most subtle of shows, but a very thrilling experience.

Deserves to be as big as Nell Gwynn in my opinion.

Thanks to firefingers' positive review I gave this a go last night - and agree with pretty much everything in the above review.  It was a testament to its power that despite the heavens opening, very few, if any,  left during the interval.  The use of the space is wonderful (when you see it you'll know what I mean) and the second act has a series of strong female duologues which, I suspect, will have drama students rushing to buy copies of the play.  I love Gina McKee but I thought she seemed a little tired vocally and physically, but she does the intense, intimate stuff really well.   Joan Iyiola, as Boudica's daughter Alonna, had some of the most interesting scenes and Forbes Masson is a standout.  Great movement work. Do not miss the opening of the second act.

[argon]

They need to rein back the profanity a bit otherwise enjoyable

[peggs]

Sounds quite appealing but suspect I'd be way too much of a faint risk for this.

[barelyathletic]

Well, I may have been wrong about it possibly being marmite. Two stonking five-star reviews so far, from Broadway World and whatsonstage.

"This epic, blood-soaked spectacle at the Globe... A thrilling, challenging and thoroughly disturbing examination of one of Britain's bloodiest – and feistiest – patriots... A woman you would follow into battle." FIve-Stars

Really can't wait to see it now. Sooo excited.

[dani]

There's a favourable review in the ES as well: www.standard.co.uk/goingout/theatre/boudica-theatre-review-gina-mckees-warrior-queen-brings-mix-of-ferocity-and-dignity-a3634506.html

[Steve]

And from me lol. The most visceral, violent primal rush I've had at the Globe in ages, using Emma Rice's speakers to drum, drum DRUM that war beat, and rock loudly for two exciting Forbes Masson performed rock-war-song-dances, with a little thematic anti-war addendum layered on top through the story of Boudica's daughters.

Some spoilers follow. . .

Basically, it's The Magnificent 7/Seven Samurai type structure, with Boudica training her daughters for battle, as she rounds up disparate Britannic tribes to team up to take on the Romans in a revenge quest. Probably not very historically accurate, as Boudica was dead by 31, and so her daughters probably wouldn't have been old enough for the depicted storyline, and she herself never reached Gina McKee's age.

That said, Gina McKee is fantastic, looking preternaturally young in her Boudica-of-Britannia blue headdress and robes, and overcoming the obvious miscasting of such a considered thoughtful whispery actress as this bloodthirsty, battling beast of a Boudica. There's some rollicking comedy too, as the Romans initially consist of some petty, preening Frankie Howard and affected Kenneth Williams types, to contrast with the fierce Britons, before the Romans' roll on the excellent Clifford Samuel, as military leader, Suetonius, to give their side some fearsome discipline and gravitas.

The sheer Emma Rice speaker noise, mostly drums, but also two great stomping, song-dances led by a wonderful Forbes Masson, who otherwise plays the most reasonable and sensible Briton on the battlefield, couples with some superb in-the-round staging to create a real thrill for the senses. The best thing about the blood-stirring frenzy of it all is how thoroughly the show rouses the audience in the pit to join in the partisan bloodthirsty rowdiness, before slapping down all the stirred-up aggression with the play's anti-war all-people-have-their-reasons coda. It worked.

This is not a complex play, commendably clear, if a little simplistic, in it's anti-war message, but it's not so much what is told, but how it's told, that makes this such a kick-ass piece of storytelling. From the pit, I felt surrounded by, and involved by, the action, and the staging, and also, Emma Rice's lighting rigs were used judicially to accentuate the sometimes haunting atmosphere, and spotlight key characters in the murk. (I suspect this play will work better and be more exciting at night, as what scares one in the night is often commonplace and silly in the stark light of day). In respect of the lighting, and loud speakers, and use of pop music to stir up the audience, I see this as a kind of swan song to Emma Rice's short reign, which, like Boudica's, was all sound and fury, signifying something. Of course, in one critical respect, this show is the antithesis of Rice, lacking her spirit of "love," which word is currently streaked in neon lettering down the side of the Globe. Instead, this show is an analysis of aggression and hatred, with the seductiveness of the former used to comment on the prevalance of the latter.

Boudica's two daughters, Natalie Simpson's Blodwynn and Joan Iyiola's Alonna, who carry the ultimate meaning of this piece, are thankfully excellently acted, especially by Iyiola, who works sensitive wonders with her facial expressions, amongst the carnage of the show, to accentuate the play's thematic resonance.

Overall, rousing fun, which makes me really really wish I could afford to hire Forbes Masson to preside over the revelries of my next birthday party lol

4 stars.

[greenswan]

Agree with all the reviews above. It's a bit mad and uneven with some lengths, but definitely worth it. Thought-provoking in the face-off between ideologies, too. Good to excellent acting, good stage fights. And a few quite rousing musical interludes.

[skullion]

I'd agree with much of the above, I saw this this afternoon and really enjoyed it, quite bonkers but that's all to the good!

[peggs]

Well that was a whole lot of madness wasn't it! Big and brash and bloody with some rather alarmingly seemingly more blood thirsty groundlings. Will post more when off phone but interesting day spent at globe with some mixed Emma rice era views.

[joem]

This was a cracking watch. A few moments of self-conscious looniness take it down one peg but the energy, the drive, the invention, the IMPORTANCE of the themes made it an Orient Express of a play.

Gina Mckee is a monstress. She needs to tread the boards far more regularly. She struts about the stage confidently, tracing the developing arc of Boudicca's story perfectly, from hauteur to humiliation developing into an instar of a British Valkyrie.

The politics of the play is unusual. I am assuming the playwright hails from the left. But every time one of the British tribesmen railed against “Rome” I could not help but think of the eponymous treaty. Granted, Brexit is not a straightforward left/right issue but nationalism/patriotism largely is these days.

Shame about that astronaut imo.

[skullion]

Oct 2, 2017 17:17:41 GMT joem said:

Shame about that astronaut imo.

Oh god I'd forgotten about that, yes that was weird 

[peggs]

Agree with much said above, this would have been loathed I'm sure by some and roared on with approval by others. Seen best at night where the lights and smoke show to best effect, with full use of the theatre space, absolutely loved the bit when the attackers burst through the wooden fort from behind. Gina McKee on imperious form, I don't really get those critics who said she was miscast (but over came it), this may not be what you'd immediately expect from her but I bet she had a ball and she fitted the space well. I've never experienced something where the groundlings where almost demanded to join in so much but it worked well and in the security of darkness and confidently knowing you knew on one there is it much easier to embrace howling like some terrifying roman nightmare.

Had been at the matinee earlier in the day for Much Ado and had the Emma Rice conversation with my next in queue, she was very pro Rice, had only come to the Globe since she took over and was furious at her leaving and seemed pretty determined to not come back again. I was curious as to why and she explained that her only previous Shakespeare experience was a very dull outing in Bath and that shakespere needed to be translated for a modern audience, by which she seemed to mean micced, with modern song/music choice, artificially lit etc. Interestingly it was her 8th trip to Much ado and it was only on the way home that I thought that I could have suggested that if you removed the mics that production could pretty easily have fitted in the previous set up so she might in fact like alternative styles. My evening fellow queuee was similarly new last year and was very positive of what he'd seen and off the back off it was working his way through the canon as quickly as he could such was his enthusiasm. He fully intended to return next year and was hopeful that he'd still like what came. Groundling number 3 was under the impression that Rice was just taking over and had happily been coming for years and hadn't noticed a great change in overall direction but saw productions as individual rather than a collective approach. If nothing else Emma Rice's rein has made for some interesting conversations.

[lonlad]

Emma Rice's "rein"?? That's an image I bet she would love (or maybe not).

[Deleted]

Yes

16 people having a battle lasting 1 minute

Looks so convincing

The play seems like it was written

By a youth training scheme

After almost 5 years from staying away from this venue

It was nice to see it’s as reassuringly

sh*t as usual

[Deleted]

Oct 2, 2017 22:32:35 GMT @parsley said:

Yes

16 people having a battle lasting 1 minute

Looks so convincing

The play seems like it was written

By a youth training scheme

After almost 5 years from staying away from this venue

It was nice to see it’s as reassuringly

sh*t as usual

I have missed you Parsley.

[showgirl]

In the case of the Globe I think it's about the overall experience, not just the production, so whilst I had my reservations about Boudica, I did enjoy my visit. I only go to the Globe every couple of years and book a matinee as it's likely to be colder in the evening, and it does take an age to get in and out (never mind fighting your way through the dawdlers on the South Bank), but if you can accept all that, it can make a refreshing (literally, at times!) change from other venues. I've also only ever booked in response to very good reviews and haven't regretted anything so far.

[Deleted]

I wasn't so sure about the play itself, but I liked the direction very much and hope Eleanor Rhode is invited back to the Globe in the future. She seems to understand the space much better than other directors I've seen there. (I'd also like VERY much to see Abraham Popoola and Forbes Masson and their height difference work together again in future.)

Side note: I don't see how something can be "as usual" if there's a five year gap in one's experience. Maybe some people just have an unerring knack for picking the one play every five years they're not going to get on with. (Maybe some people just don't get on with anything.)