An epic tale of ancient Britain brought to life at Peterborough's Flag Fen
For decades, Peterborough Mask Theatre has been renowned across the region for its celebrated summer tradition of outdoor theatre.
From the lightest comedies to the darkest tragedies, the company has brought the works of William Shakespeare to life in the city’s most beautiful spaces.
But this July, the company is stepping away from the Bard and into the mud of ancient Britain, bringing Tristan Bernays’ visceral epic Boudica to Flag Fen Archaeology Park.
Staging the production at Flag Fen marks a powerful homecoming. The performance takes place on the authentic prehistoric landscape where the East Anglian tribes lived, worked, and fought.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the history behind Boudica and our local connection to the area,” says Director Ben Stroud. “Tristan Bernays' script manages to convey raw emotions by combining modern language with a rich prose style. We are thrilled to be bringing it to life at Flag Fen.”
This era of history was entirely unrecorded by the Britons themselves—the only physical evidence they left behind is a distinct, thick layer of soot buried deep beneath modern Colchester and London, marking the cities Boudica burned to the ground.
Instead, the history was written by the Romans themselves. Strikingly, the Roman historians Tacitus and Dio Cassius recorded, with brutal honesty, just how much the mighty Roman Empire feared the East Anglian Warrior Queen.
The production does not shy away from that fear, nor the dark realities of occupation. It features intense stage combat and the violence of battle, but balances this with a harsh, uncompromising look at the systemic abuse of women and its psychological fallout.
Helen Naylor, playing the title role, explains the deep human and tactical drivers of the script: “When Boudica’s family and land are brutally attacked, something irrevocable is set in motion. The trauma she endures fuels a deep and righteous anger. For her, the abuse of her daughters and the ravaging of her kingdom are inseparable.”
The play dives deep into how this violence shapes the next generation. Boudicca is heavily influenced by the abuse of her children, but her daughters react in wildly different ways: while the bloodthirsty Blodwyn seeks absolute vengeance, her sister Alonna is moved to show mercy to a vulnerable enemy from the Roman lines.
Performances will be on July 10 and 11 then 16-18 at 7:30pm.
Recommended for ages 14+ due to intense themes and scenes of violence.
Book online at www.Seaty.co.uk/BoudicaFlagFen