Review: CALIGULA AND THE SEA, VAULT Festival

Roman Emperor Caligula is not typically a name that is connected to stories of friendship, romance, and heartbreak. He is typically known as a selfish and mad ruler, a man who, according to legend, had plans to make his horse a consul, one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic. So, when walking into Caligula and the Sea, I felt that the creators of the show had given themselves an impossible task. How do you make the Mad Emperor, assassinated by his own bodyguards, a sympathetic character? I was soon to find out.

Entering the Cavern felt like entering another world. A mist surrounds the audience and the stage, making my glasses slightly fog up. Aaron J. Dootson's lighting places three columns in spotlights while bathing the rest of the room in a beautiful glow. Ambient music plays, echoing around the room. The stage is set in a thrust style, with the audience around three sides, immersing them in the worlds of Capri and Rome.

Fiona McKeon has created a truly stunning set that is simple yet effective, using sheets of blue and white fabric to create a curtain that becomes the sea itself, drawing characters into its waters and becoming its own character throughout the show. McKeon is also responsible for the costumes of the show, which, while simple like the rest of the show's components, manage to bring out the character's personalities. Neptune is in a constant state of motion with their flowing gowns, Cassius carries the heavy burden of the armour of the Praetorian Guard, and Caligula's costumes change as he grows more powerful, going from a simple tunic to a crisp white suit.

Noah Silverstone begins by playing Caligula as sullen and seemingly weak, with a bubbling anger underneath, which only makes his transformation into the mad Emperor even more powerful. He plays the role in a way that makes even those wary of Caligula want him to succeed, before realising what power does to the man. Felix Ryder, playing Caligula's closest companion, Cassius Chaerea, is truly incredible, with some of his soul-bearing monologues to the people of Rome and the Praetorian Guard bringing me to tears.

Cassius is both the lover and the fighter, protecting Rome and Caligula with all his might. Riko Nakazono is a brilliant Neptune, playing the God as cool and calculating while also still having fun as they toy with the emotions of mortals. One is constantly reminded that, compared to the simple men of the likes of Caligula and Cassius, Neptune stands above, aloof and powerful, while still carrying humanistic traits that make them able to connect with both the other characters and the audience.

Along with playing the role of Caligula, Noah Silverstone is also responsible for the simple yet incredible puppets that grace the stage throughout the show. While it may have been the simplest puppet within the show, I truly loved the seagull and the way it interacts with both the characters and the audience. The puppets, though made of basic items like cardboard, truly come to life and dance around the stage, thanks to the movement direction by Sean Croft. Croft also does a brilliant job in choreographing moments in the show to reflect the tides of the water, as actors have a tendency to become the waves of the sea, constantly in motion yet not distracting from the action going on around them.

There is one moment that felt out of place but in the best way possible, pulling you out of this story of betrayal and grief and helping the audience understand just how drunk with power Caligula had become, which even more impact to one of the most heartbreaking moments in the show.

Ultimately, Caligula and the Sea blew my expectations out of the water, pun fully intended. It is an incredibly well-crafted show that will leave you speechless in the best way possible. Director and producer Yuxuan Liu has created a tale for the ages. For those who love The Song of Achilles and other stories of legend that have been retold from a new perspective, you will adore this. For those completely unfamiliar with any stories of the ancient past, you will adore this. Everyone will adore Caligula - And isn't that, in a strange way, what he wanted?

Caligula and the Sea runs at the VAULT Festival from 28 February to 5 March in the Cavern at The Vaults.

Photo Credit: VAULT Festival

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