A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

The Boadicea of Britannia Street

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  4w

Ade Morris

In this funny and touching play about female friendship, four very different women in a local writers’ group discover their own strength as they create and perform a play about Boadicea, an ancient East Anglican queen and feminist icon.

The Boadicea of Britannia Street

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences

Details

Summary

Widow, poet and cat lover Fran Lamb, a writer for local newspaper The Winkham Weekly Snooze, decides to start up her own creative writing group. She is joined at the Winkham Memorial Institute by panicked P.E. teacher Penny, shy librarian Janet, and Annie, a housewife whose mysterious anxiety causes her to substitute the correct words for entirely the wrong ones. From this uncompromising beginning, the four women soon form plans to write and perform a play about Boadicea, ancient East Anglican queen and feminist icon. (“Boadicea, Britannia, it's all the same thing: British womanhood in full armour!”) Over the course of several weeks, home truths are gradually shared – along with tea and vodka – and soon Fran, Janet, Penny and Annie find themselves needing to draw on heroic reserves of their own.

The Boadicea of Britannia Streetis a funny and very touching play about female friendship by the author of Micky Salberg’s Crystal Ballroom Dance Bandand I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls.

History
The Boadicea of Britannia Street premiered (under the title The Story of a Great Lady) at The Watermill Theatre in Bagnor in spring 2007. Directed by Ade Morris, the production featured Carrie Hinton, Erica Rogers and Polly Highton. A revised version of the play was presented by Quidem Productions at the New Town Theatre at the Edinburgh Festival in August 2013. Directed by Ade Morris, the production featured Lucinda Curtis, Lizzie Lewis, Polly Highton and Alice Fyles.
Cast Attributes
FRANCESCA LAMB – Mid-60s, feisty, local journalist
PENNY TEW – 30, shortish, a panicked P.E. teacher
ANNIE TAYLOR – 40s, run to seed, plump, housewife
JANET MELLER – 20s, librarian, shy, intense, repressed, reluctant pianist
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting Winkham Memorial Hall. The present.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

“Very funny… a tender, poignant play.” – British Theatre

★★★★ “The play celebrates female friendship, companionship and strength, with Boadicea becoming an icon of resilience and fight for the women. Aside from being very funny, it’s a tender, poignant play.” – British Theatre

“Wonderfully touching and a little quaint… a story of triumph, taking control of one’s life and self-discovery.” – Three Weeks in Edinburgh

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Add-Ons

Take a look below at how you can enhance your show!

Authors

Author

Ade Morris

Now Playing