Roman Theatre of Verulamium
About
Unusually for Roman Britain, this theatre was built with a raised stage rather than as a simple amphitheatre, hosting religious processions and armed combat before its auditorium was enlarged decades later. It rose beside the great road of Watling Street, on the site of an older Celtic shrine. It did not yet exist in 117 CE; construction began roughly a generation after Trajan's death, and today it remains one of only a handful of purpose-built theatres known from Roman Britain.
What happened here
Seating is the message: the front rows are reserved by law for the town council, and everyone can see who is sitting where. The building is a half-circle against a tall stone backdrop that also serves as a permanent set, and the acoustics are good enough that an actor can be heard without effort. The programme is mime and pantomime more than the old tragedies — bawdy, topical, sometimes politically sharp enough that performers get exiled. Audiences are loud, partisan, and quite prepared to shout a piece down. Awnings and perfumed water sprays are laid on when the sponsor is generous. Shows are attached to religious festivals and paid for by a magistrate who wants the credit, and his name is on the seating.
Sources
Nearby
Roman Maps shows the empire frozen at 11 August 117 CE, the day Trajan died — its moment of greatest territorial extent. Explore the full map →