Roman

I had a very nice chat with Guy Windsor (The Sword Guy) the other day and today he has published it as a Podcast, edited down to just 1 hour 38 minutes!Guy is an extremely good interviewer and our conversation ranged over many topics, covering some of my earlier experiences as I stumbled into this rather strange career, my views on various historical issues and also the topics of my books. I chat about life, the day I drove a chariot through London (hence the photos here), swords, bows, horses and, of course, dogs.There is a transcript on his page, which was probably made by electronic means and so sometimes misidentifies words. It is therefore not to be taken as verbatim of what I said. If you have a mind to, you can listen to the whole discourse here:guywindsor.net/2021/05/mike-loades-episode48/ ...

I think this is a wonderful plan. It is a brilliantly designed retractable stage that will cover the central arena of the Coliseum, giving visitors a real impression of what it would have been like to see it in its heyday. The installation will be fully removable, so it does not impact any changes of heart or future plans for the conservation of the monument.Of course the hypogeum – the labyrinth of below-stage tunnels, lifts and holding areas – is of immense fascination and, inevitably this will be obscured when the new stage is covering it. However there will be days/times when the stage is rolled back, both to air the hypogeum and to reveal it in its full glory. I think the presence of the stage will help to show the hypogeum in better context. The tunnels allowed access for wild animals and gladiators from outside the Coliseum, so that they could be set in place before the public saw them. It must have been a hot, sweaty, noisy, malodorous and frightening place. Lions and tigers, and other animals, were suddenly sprung into the arena for the depraved delectation of the baying crowds by means of lifts and trapdoors Slave labour winched great counterweights on pulleys to the top of the lift shafts, so that all the stagehands had to do was pull a lever and, in a flash, a bear or a boar would be rocketed into the arena. The morality of these displays was deplorable but the stagecraft was extraordinary. Similarly the lifts and trapdoors of the hypogeum could be used to surprise audiences with instant and elaborate scenic backdrops and other set installations. In modern theatres these things descend from above or are slid in from the wings. However in the Coliseum it all sprouted instantly from the ground. There must have been many gasps of ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’.The hypogeum, which is what we see today when looking at the central area of the Coliseum is full of interest but I think we need to ‘see’ the arena as a stage first, before we can fully appreciate the ingeniousness of it all. This planned installation of a retractable stage will do just that. ...

Roman

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