CALIGULA 2.0 by Rolf Alme – Teatr Druga Strefa, Warsaw, Poland / SALT, Oslo, Norway

The play delves into an ongoing dramatic conflict: the Russian war on Ukraine.
Amidst the inundation of articles, analyses, images, and news concerning this war, CALIGULA 2.0 does not seek to offer yet another scientific investigation into the
present political and military situation in Russia, Ukraine, or Europe. Instead, it
endeavours to intertwine the contemporary era of Putin’s Russia with the time of the
Roman empire under Caligula. By uniting the two dictators, Caligula and Putin, the
play conveys the timeless nature of war and tyranny.
Far from being realistic, the play incorporates realistic quotations and facts from both
ancient Rome and the present day. The eclectic text is crafted in an innocent, naïve
style, infused with humour and irony. It draws inspiration from the formal, musical,
and visual elements of silent movies from the early 20th century.
The performance of CALIGULA 2.0 aims to serve as a form of “theatre of emotional
therapy”; It portrays how a charismatic tyrant can manipulate and terrorize an entire
country, culminating in the satisfaction of witnessing the demise of a tyrant, as
history indicates they all meet their end at some point. However, the performance
also delves into the mind of the dying tyrant Vladimir Putin, presenting perhaps the
most chilling moment of the play.