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Ecce Romani on a Shoestring!

 
Rebecca Vines Review by Rebecca Vines 3 Published: 5 Aug 2025 Paradise in Augustines Show Dates: 4 Aug 2025-9 Aug 2025

If the phrase “Cornelia est laeta quod iam est in villa” is as engraved upon your scholastic heart as it is on mine – then this is the show for you. Even if it’s just a dim and distant memory which simultaneously conjures the heady days of stapling your index finger just for something to do, blu-tacking your fingernails, and layering Copydex on yourself just so you could peel it off – then this charming little piece is sure to tickle your humerus.

Nostalgia, as my dad never tires of telling me, is not what it used to be

For the uninitiated, Cornelia’s unbridled joy in pottering around her summer villa is a phrase from the Latin textbook Ecce Romani. This 1971 blockbuster is the rollicking read of the Cornelii family and their adventures with wolves, carriages, unruly children and senators in Ancient Rome. A reading programme designed to familiarise students with the linguistic and cultural principles of the Roman age, Ecce Romani was as much a staple of the groaning 1980s satchel as a dog-eared copy of Tricolore and a packet of Smoky Bacon. I’ve no idea whether it is still deployed as a teaching aid. All I know is that if it isn’t, today’s Latin scholars are missing out on a full appreciation of how to learn through sheer, ungilded slog. “Is that it?” one of the chirpy cast continually asks. Yes love, it is. (Was). It really was.

Nostalgia, as my dad never tires of telling me, is not what it used to be. But in this affectionate and witty homage, there is much to evoke those long-lost times when our biggest worry was who we would sit by at lunch.

Shoestring Theatre bring their unique brand of storytelling magic to the book – and it is a funny, well-drilled jaunt through all twenty-seven chapters. There is some innovative physical theatre, modern questioning of certain material, and clever nods to the repetitious structure of the book. The cast are bright and breezy, working extremely hard to involve and engage their audience in a performance which is aptly brought to life by the very teens that Ecce Romani was designed for.

The premise is perhaps a little niche – but the execution will prove delightful even for those unaware of the original source material. The eager and enthusiastic cast are definitely worth a look and deserve a solid audience.

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The Blurb:

Latin class: Loved it or hated it? The Hopkins School’s Shoestring Ensemble stages all 27 chapters of this classic Latin textbook’s narration in English! Wolves! Soldiers! A ditch! What becomes of the family Cornelii? Seriously, we’re asking! Told in the Fringe First award-winning Shoestring style, this ensemble of New Haven teens create all the needed scenic elements through colourful and cheeky living tableaux. Suitable for families, lovers of Latin and those who despised this book! www.hopkins.edu has more information about the Shoestring Ensemble at Hopkins School where Latin has been taught since 1660!