The star of the show is of course Caligula, played by Jack Powell. Powell conveys Caligula’s madness well, shifting smoothly from anger to sorrow and back again, and manifesting his emotions both in his voice and in his actions, with convincing trembling and crying. It is a testament to Powell’s good acting that the audience feels sympathy for such a volatile and cruel character as Caligula, who orders executions at random and toys with his companions’ emotions. Not only is his performance emotionally compelling, but it is also funny, thanks to Powell’s impeccable comic timing (and his ability to dance- he had the whole audience roaring with laughter as he danced around the stage in a tutu, a sight which is almost reason enough on its own to see the play).

Tim Gibson, as Octavius, gives one of the funniest performances in the play. His slapstick humour is a welcome counterbalance to Caligula’s musings on despair and impossibility, and his ability to caricature an old man is impressive, especially considering that he has no props or makeup to aid him. Indeed, the costumes of all the characters are very simple- mainly dinner jackets and evening gowns- and the set consists of only a sofa and a mirror. While the starkness of the set contributes to the nihilistic tone Camus intended, I thought the costume choice could have been more creative, even while keeping to the sense of timelessness that the director seems to want to convey with the dinner jackets. The lighting was the best aspect of the staging- it was simple but symbolic, changing color and intensity to reflect the mood of what was happening on stage.

Caligula is not extraordinary, but it is a very good student production and is worth seeing. The successful dark comedy makes the more depressing themes more palatable, and Caligula’s psychological drama is both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking thanks to Powell’s talented acting. Caligula is, after all, theatre of the absurd, so perhaps it is to be expected that we leave feeling entertained but not altogether satisfied.