AUCKLAND FRINGE FESTIVAL
CAESAR'S ROME: Hands-on Living History Experience
The Roman Temple, 20 Feb - 3 Mar, 6-7.30 pm
Meet Caesar at the Roman Temple and try a variety of Roman activities while learning all about ancient Rome. Splash in a Pompeii Fountain. Write on a wax tablet. Swing a gladius. Wear a Centurion helmet. Blow a cornu. Fire a Ballista. Fight as a gladiator. Or relax on a triclinium like a real ancient Roman.
Weds 21 Feb
Our second night and a big group of eager recruits inducted into the Roman legions. Besides learning to use a variety of weapons, they also got to taste garum (Roman fish sauce made from fish guts left in a sealed clay pot to ferment in the hot sun for 3 months), and drink Roman wine mixed with water, honey and pepper.
Tues 20 Feb
Our big opening night with only four Romans. This turned out to be a blessing because it started us off easy able to do a live run-through of all the activities and adjust preparations before we were overwhelmed by the larger groups. With a smaller number we had time to dress the guys in body armor. Theo enjoyed it so much that he even brought his girlfriend the following night, and we ended up getting him to help as a barbarian with the later shows, so that our new Roman recruits had somebody fierce to attack.
Preparing for the Roman show. After hosting a variety of events at the Roman Temple over the past year, the idea of developing a Roman show for the Auckland Fringe Festival developed. The main idea was that people could enjoy a series of experiential activities that included not only Roman army and Gladiators, but also everyday civilian life. The show developed a little more after each performance, as we discovered what worked best, and how to streamline the experience.
