Boudicca of the Iceni

Boudicca was an ancient queen of the British tribe known as the Icini. She led her tribe in a rebellion against Roman occupiers. She was ultimately defeated and executed by a Roman officer named Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, but her story became a part of British lore, and was ultimately the inspiration for the English playwright William Shakespeare's play Boudicca. The play inspired English audiences to take part in an uprising that expelled Spanish occupying forces and restored Queen Elizabeth to the throne. The play drew many parallels between Boudicca and Elizabeth. In the play's debut, Boudicca was played by Joe Boardman.