Adventures with the Painted People

The single-scene intimacy of the setting – a Pictish cell – might have been better suited to the stage where a wider sense of place can more easily be achieved.

Lucius reveals himself as a man of poetry and a hapless combatant and Eithne lays out her desire to become a cultured Roman and meet her captive’s commanders on their own terms.

As this mismatched, yet very similar, couple meet with open hearts and minds a tangible expanse of understanding develops between them. Huband’s laconic Lucius warms to the traditional outlook of Eithne’s people – who know rivers instead of roads – while Stuart’s fierce Eithne marvels at Lucius’ poignant memories of the baths in Rome, a sign of the luxurious upside of encroaching civilisation.

A thoughtful and warm-hearted piece, the moment of its transmission elevates the work. Lucius’ comrades have journeyed as far into Scotland as they will reach and the pair meet at a historic point for Rome’s colonial ambitions, at which they must step outside their tribes and decide their own futures.