The Department of History's 2014 Latin Play was Ecerenis, by Albertino Mussato. Written in 1315 in Padua, Ecerenis tells the story of the bloody career and bloodier end of Ezzelino da Romano, a tyrant who had terrorised northern Italy half a century earlier. The play was performed in the original Latin, with English subtitles. 

Ecerinis is one of the first fruits of the Italian Renaissance: Mussato modelled his plays on the long-forgotten tragedies of Seneca, which had recently begun to circulate in Padua. But the Ecerinis is no wearisome pastiche of its model. Rather, Mussato uses the eloquence and lurid sensibility of Seneca to give a sharp and dramatic picture of the crises and terrors of his own time.

The play was performed on 28 March 2014 at 7.30 pm in the King's Chapel, Strand Campus and there was a suggested admission donation of £5. The programme can be viewed here.

The play and music were performed by students of the “Latin for Graduates” course on the MA in Medieval History at King’s College London. Direction and production was by students from the MA in Text and Performance at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. 

 

Read the programme for the 2014 Latin Play (pdf)