Details

When his adored sister's death awakes him to a realisation of life's essential absurdity, the Roman emperor Caligula embarks upon an orgy of sexual depravity and sadistic cruelty in an apparently insane attempt to free himself from the shackles of mortality and morality. Based upon Albert Camus's existentialist response to the rise of Hitler and Stalin, but as topical as ever in the era of Saddam Hussein and Colonel Gaddafi, Detlev Glanert's 2006 opera - ?perhaps the finest German opera of the 21st century' (Tempo) - offers a disturbing insight into the self-destructive logic driving a decadent and dangerous dictatorship. Audacious young Australian director Benedict Andrews highlights the timeliness of the opera's themes by setting his UK premiere production in a football stadium, the kind of vast public arena within which dictators habitually play out their political games.

Creatives/Company

Music: Detlev Glanert

What's On By Year ...

Archive listings for Caligula (2012)

Work type: Opera or Operetta.

T01937169351

New Production. Running time: 2hrs 30minsProducer English National Opera. Conductor Ryan Wigglesworth. Director Benedict Andrews. Design Ralph Myers. Costume Alice Babidge. Lighting Jon Clark. Choreographer Denni Sayers. Performer Peter Coleman-Wright (Caligula). Performer Yvonne Howard (Caesonia). Performer Tamara Gura (Scipio). Performer Brian Galliford (Mucius). Performer Eddie Wade (Mereia / Lepidus). Performer Julia Sporsen (Livia).

25 May 12 to 14 Jun 12

London Coliseum, West End :: V376
listing details L818355667

Reviews

No UKTW or User reviews available.

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CORONAVIRUS: All venues in the UK were shut down on March 16, 2020, and the restrictions were finally lifted on July 19, 2021. It is important to mention that the UK Theatre Web archive listings (iUKTDb) from March 2020 to July 2021 might not be accurate due to the lack of information regarding rescheduled and cancelled shows.