CALIGULA

 

 

Caligula by Albert Camus.

Directed, produced and marketed by Isiah Pritchard. Belinda Lawrence — Assistant Director. Co-Stage Managers: Erin Lesnie and Laura Byrne. Set Designer: Kathleen Kershaw . Paris Scharkie. Composer: Euan Tregurtha. Lighting Designer Alex Ellwood. Costume Designer: Elizabeth Barnes. Sound Operator: Jill Young.  Intimacy Coordinator: Archie Simpson. Stagehands: Ty Advani and Dan Fonn Prichard.  Assistant Marketing Jack Dent — Photographer. ACT HUB. July 1-4 2026. Bookings: ACTHUB.COM.AU

Cast: Misha Rippon, Tash Lyall, Amy Gottschalk,Annabelle Hansen, Paris Sharkie,Dan Fonn Prichard, Alex Ellwood,Thomas Neill, Robert Wearden, Sam Odgers, Tigerlily Gledhill

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

 

Mischa Rippon is Caligula in Albert Camus' Caligula

Performative Theatre Company has made an impressive debut on the Canberra Theatre Scene with a highly commendable production of Albert Camus’ Caligula. The young cast, I suspect, of mainly university students has made a challenging choice in deciding to present Camus’ philosophical treatise on Caligula’s descent into madness after the death of his sister and lover, Druscilla. Her death has no meaning in Caligula’s mind, lending credibility to Camus’ philosophy of absurdism, where Caligula’s pursuit of logic to its ultimate end through conflict and indifference leads to the desperate quest for the moon in his hand or the impossible. What emerges in Mischa Rippon’s charismatic performance of the tortured emperor is a profound self-loathing expressed in tyrannical response to Drusilla’s meaningless death. 

Annabelle Hansen as Patricius. Marscha Rippon as Calligula 

Camus’ Caligula is transformed from a kind and gentle Caesar, loved and respected by his citizens into a soulless tyrant who sees death as an expression of freedom, and his only comfort in contempt. It is therefore an act of love to kill the son of ? or deprive the poet Scippio (Alex Ellwood ) of his father or force poison into the mouth of Mereia (Paris Sharkie) . “To govern is to kill” he tells his obsequious right- hand man Helikon (Dan Fonn Prichard). What we see is the eventual dehumanization of a tragic hero and the absurdity of humanity’s existence. Meaninglessness permeates the very absurdity of Caligula’s search for meaning. His indifference to love and life is expressed in his abuse of power and the absurd poetry competition, a game of intellectual gladiatorial contest.

Dan Fon Prichard (Helikon). Mischa Rippon (Caligula)
Tash Lyall (Caesonia)

In the realm of philosophical discourse and interpretation, Performative Theatre Company under the astute and intelligent direction of Isiah Pritchard gives Camus' ideas clarity and believability. Written in 1938 just after Hitler's rise to power and before the outbreak of World War 1 and then re-written in 1944 as Hitler faced inevitable decline and his absurd suicide, Performative Theatre’s timely production of Caligula has recognizable resonance with the tyrannical abuse of power and self-aggrandizement in our time. It is not possible to view Camus’ play and Performative Theatre’s carefully staged production without a reminder of the fragility of life’s existence and meaning.

Mischa Rippon and Amy Gottschalk (Cherea) in Caligula

I commend Performative Theatre highly on their courage to choose Caligula and their ability to project a stylized expression of the absurdity of Caligula’s actions, and yet the plausibility of his motivation, the ultimate contradiction of reason versus logic. Kathleen Kershaw’s flexible setting overlooked by an enormous crack-lined bust of Caligula in the Roman tradition both sets the scene and lends a dominating Big Brother and controlling presence to Caligula’s unassailable power. Paris Sharkie’s subtle composition reminds us of the ominous threat that silent indifference poses. In Caligula Camus prophesies an inevitable resistance to tyranny. In 41 BC conspirator Cherea (Amy Gottschalk) and the citizens ultimately restored freedom in the deaths of Helikon and Caligula. Caligula’s wife Caesonia (Tash Lyall) had already been murdered. Caligula’s logic to the end and longing for freedom was realized in his assassination.

Misha Rippon and Alex Ellwood (Scipio)

Performative Theatre is to be applauded for staging this rarely produced play and illuminating our understanding of Caligula’s irrational behaviour in the context of Camu’s philosophy of Absurdism. The production is tight and imaginatively directed by Prichard. The cast are young actors of varying experience and there is still scope for the development of vocal technique, but there is real commitment to the themes of Camus’ thought provoking examination of the human psyche.  

The poisoning of Mereia (Paris Sharkie)

Central to the success of this production is the actor playing the demanding role of the tortured Caligula, determined to change the world order in his nihilistic obsession. Director Prichard’s choice of Rippon to play the role is inspirational. Rippon is a young actor destined to make a real impression on the art of theatre. His performance is gripping, rarely off the stage and totally inhabiting the complex nature of a character driven to the edge of insanity. He is the glue that binds the production together, rollercoasting from grief to delusion, fantasy to vanity, lust for power to vicious cruelty and cold logic to madness. Rippon is supported by a dedicated cast, who have staged a fascinating and uncomfortably entertaining play under Prichard’s insightful eye, Kershaw’s simple but appropriate setting and Sharkie’s atmospheric musical composition.

 Paris Sharkie (Mereia) Annabelle Hansen ( Patricius)
Robert Wearden (Cassius) in Caligula

It is left to audiences to consider parallels and one needn’t look far to see the truth of Camus’ prophetic warning, absurd as it may seem to the indifferent eye. Performative Theatre Company has a very short season at ACT HUB and the company has provided an excellent and rare opportunity to see a production of Camus Caligula. I look forward with interest to Performative Theatre Company's next production. Caligula has been a very satisfying introduction to this new and promising company.

Photographs  Jack Dent