Caligula (play)

"Caligula" (performed 1945, written 1938) is a play by Albert Camus. Its plot revolves around the historical figure of Caligula, a Roman Emperor famed for his cruelty and seemingly insane behavior. In Camus' version, Caligula deliberately manipulates his own assassination. (Historically, this event took place January 24, 41 AD.)

Camus' portrayal of Caligula is seemingly soft on the surface but below it is seething with details and moral and ethical codes.

The play has enjoyed considerable success of late, and has been given several productions worldwide. A new translation by David Greig, directed by Michael Grandage, was performed to great acclaim at the Donmar Warehouse in London, starring Michael Sheen, and won several Olivier Awards. The same translation was later performed at the Project Cube Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, directed by Conor Hanratty, where it was also nominated for several awards.

The play has also recently been performed by the Radnóti Színház in Budapest, Hungary, the National Theatre of Greece in Athens, and most recently was directed by Yukio Ninagawa, starring Shun Oguri, at the Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon in Tokyo, Japan. Additionally, the play has begun to attract the attention of collegiate and community theaters, being produced at such well known universities as The College of William and Mary.