A TASTE of Rome will be on offer in Stratford later this month.
The RSC will be staging a Midsummer Roman Feast in Avonbank Gardens on Sunday June 25 – inspired by the company’s current Rome Season featuring productions of Julius Caesar, Antony & Cleopatra, Titus Andronicus and Coriolanus.
Roman festivities were characterised by decadence and excessive feasts – the wealthy seeking to impress with extravagant dishes and unusual delicacies, with food often appearing to be one thing and turning out to be another.
Working with the RSC to create this lavish feast will be renowned food designers Blanch & Shock who will present a three-course meal, interspersed with moments of performance.
Mike Knowlden from Blanch & Shock said: ‘The menu for the Midsummer Roman Feast imagines what the Romans might have been eating in Stratfordat the time that the Empire reached Great Britain.
“We are preparing some ingredients that they might have brought with them, and some wild ones that they would have found here. It’s been exciting to research such old recipes and find the meeting points of their cuisine with the way we cook today. “You can expect some unusual herbs and spices, a little splash of gore, lots of honey and some decadent Roman party tricks.”
The Roman Feast will begin at noon and tickets are £15 (£7.50 for concessions and children over five).
Visit www.rsc.org.uk/events/midsummer-roman-feast to book and for further details. Visit www.blanchandshock.com
to find out more about Blanch & Shock.
Alongside the Roman Feast in the Swan Gardens from noon to 4pm will be free traditional life-sized and table top games, live music and Roman inspired crafts. These free activities are open to all to enjoy with space for families to bring their own picnic.
