Sacking Britain Tonight!

After months of research, story creation and rehearsals, the day is finally here!  Tonight is the premiere of Chasing Boudicca at the National Art Centre's Fourth Stage!  I say premiere since we're hoping to tour this one a bit.  We'll see what we pull off!

I loved preparing for this show.  It was even worth getting a tick.    The show was built on what little we know of Boudicca's story, based mostly on archaeological records, and on a cycle of poems by Kathryn Hunt, which gave the show its name.  When she was a wee-ish Kate, she spent some time in England with her family, hunting the sites were literary events occurred.  Having read a book on Boudicca, they went hunting for the valley of her final battle.  Kate she wrote marvellous poems of herself chasing Boudicca, as an angry thirteen year-old and as an adult.  There will be a chap book of the poems for sale tonight, and it's worth purchasing.  I still choke up every time I read The Road West.

Kate and I actually met thanks to a common love of Boudicca and the good thinking of fellow Kymera Sean Zio.  He heard her cycle, he heard me tell a story of Boudicca, and he made sure we met.  Smart man.

Ruthanne Edward and I will tell the story of Boudicca in between poems.  We start with the rebellion of 47AD and the birth of her daughters, and take it all the way to the end of Boudicca.  And then we give her another ending.  Because we just don't know what actually happened.

The show was built to play off our storytelling strengths, as well.  Ruthanne can do epic (actually, Epic, with a capital E) like nobody's business, and I get to throw in some humour and character development, which I love doing.  We'll be telling two pieces in tandem, as well, which is not something I've seen many tellers do.  And there will be a bodhran player (celtic war drum).  How awesome is that?

After a radio interview and a full rehearsal last night (with limited amounts of giggling), and an early morning radio interview this morning, plus months of prep work, I'm even more impressed than ever with Ruthanne and Kate's dedication, creativity and skills.  Seeing these two in action reminds me again and again why I love performing, why I love story creation, and why I also love doing it in a team.

Once the figurative curtains have set tonight, I'm sure we'll start talking about our next plans, and what the Kymeras will do after this.  And I can't wait to see where it'll all lead!

See you tonight!