As someone who doesn’t know much about Roman history, it was enjoyable to be taught some of the silly facts that the emperors are known for.

The show welcomes the audience with the historians already relaxing at a dinner table with grapes and glasses of wine, ready to perform a history lesson. As the performance begins, we as the spectators are included as the other end of the dinner party table. The show makes fun of the brutality used for entertainment in Roman’s history and shares that we will be deciding which historian will be murdered by the end of the show. This was just one of the many times that the audience was able to participate in the story.

The characters are exaggerated for each emperor to be memorable, with the actors leaning into the stereotypes of what each ruler is known for. The specific strange traits that are used to tell the history were humorous in a similar way to ‘Horrible Histories,’ as the performance uses the emperor’s disgusting habits and ridiculous actions to make fun of their time as ruler.

Although some jokes and lines falter in miscommunication with the audience at times, it is impressive for such a young cast to remember each detail of the history they are bringing forward. When the show is wanting to be informative it’s incredibly articulate and thought-provoking. The punchlines that did do well with the audience welcomed the use of modern language and slang by the historians, which made the show more inclusive and grounded.

The main aspect of the show is to be informative, and it definitely is. The cast clearly enjoyed themselves whilst performing for us. It is a production that works well with a crowd that doesn’t take themselves too seriously, and for those who wish to be welcomed into the strange world that is the Roman Empire and its history.