Caligula 2.0

A comic tragedy about war. In Europe. In our time.

With an international cast from Ukraine, Poland, Australia and Norway, the writer and director Rolf Alme's latest play explores the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and Russia under Vladimir Putin.

We are in the second year of Emperor Caligula's rule, or the twentieth, it’s hard to say, it feels like a long time - a bit like when you are at the dentist, waiting to pull teeth. Caligula is bored. What’s next for one of the richest and most powerful men in the world? Owning more than 700 cars (that haven’t been invented yet), having mistresses who fear him and total control over a rich continent doesn’t feel like enough to secure his name in the history books as the greatest emperor and tyrant the world has ever seen.

A special imperial operation to take over a neighboring country seems like a useful diversion, aided by a creative and eager system of propaganda. Meanwhile, the corrupt oligarchs tiptoe nervously around the lion's cages, applauding the gladiators, and the army generals watch the backs of their heads in fear of bullets from 9 mm «Gurza»pistols. Will Caligula manage to remain in power, as his empire gradually runs out of food and canon-fodder? Or is he about to face his final sunset, with only his favorite horse and newly appointed senator, Incitatus, for company?

As a theatremaker, Rolf Alme is known for using and «over-writing» the myths and stories of antiquity in order to comment on and illuminate the current state of the world. In «Caligula 2.0», he uses the historical figure of Caligula and ancient Rome as a framework for investigating Russia under Putin's reign and the subject of Putin's war, with its endless suffering and far-reaching geopolitical consequences. «Caligula 2.0» tells the story of a society built on fear and surveillance, moving between a past and a presence where the emperor’s totalitarian system is slowly falling apart due to endless wars and international sanctions. The tyrannical emperor Caligula will forever stand as the very image of the tyrant as a phenomenon.

SALT art & music, Oslo, 5th - 6th March 2024

Teatr Druga Strefa, Warsaw, 10th-11th May 2024

Theatre of The No, Athens, September 2024

Heraklion Impro Theatre, Crete, September 2024

Director and writer: Rolf Alme

Music: Christian Hestø

Cast: Piotr Misztela (Poland), Elisabeth Dahl and Christian Hestø (Norway), Tyrone Douglas (Australia) and Anna Darmoriz (Ukraine).

Running time: 90 minutes, no interval

Dahl/Hestø Productions

Funded by Fritt Ord, Fond for utøvende kunstnere, The Norwegian Arts Council and with the support of the Norwegian Embassy in Athens

Creative Team

Rolf Alme, writer and director, studied at Oslo School of Architecture, Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden and Academy of Fine Arts la Cambre in Brussels. From 1986 he worked as stage designer at theaters in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland and Germany before he became Head of the Scenography Department at the Danish National School of Performing Arts in 1995. From 1998 until 2006 he was professor and Artistic Director of The Norwegian Theatre Academy. Since then, he has worked as director and directed theater performances in Denmark, Norway and Poland and contemporary circus performances in Belgium and The Netherlands. His artistic works are based on classical texts or novels that he rewrites and conceptualizes in order to create clear comments to our present society. On an aesthetic level his conceptual, humorous performances are playful aesthetic compositions merging all kinds of theater-forms, performance art, modern dance, and visual art.

Elisabeth Dahl, actor and co-producer, trained as an actor at Circomedia Academy of Physical Theatre in Bristol and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London. After working as an actress in Britain, Germany and Greece for 6 years, she moved back to her native Norway in 2010 to work with The International Ibsen Stage. She later founded The Norwegian Shakespeare Company, where she has produced, acted in and toured four productions to date. During the pandemic, she started the artistic collaboration Dahl/Hestø. Together with Christian Hestø she has staged and acted in three of Rolf Alme's plays: «Andromeda», «Interview with Aphrodite» and «Caligula 2.0»- all of which have been directed by Alme. Elisabeth has appeared in tv-series such as «22. July» and «Rådebank». She won Best Actress in a Feature Film at The Peloponnesian Corinthian International Film Festival and at Fest Film Kosova HNF for the role as “Damsel” in the British film “Shadow Gene” in 2014. In addition to her career as an actress and producer, she is a Patsy Rodenburg Associate Teacher and a teacher of the Alexander Technique; teaching movement, voice and speech at various drama schools in Norway as well as in the corporate sector.

Anna Darmoriz, actor, born in Kharkiv, Ukraine. She graduated from the Actors Studio Drama School and Kharkiv Theater "Post Scriptum." With over 15 years of experience, she has acted in theaters in the Ukraine, China and Norway.At the "Post Scriptum" theater, Anna was part of the permanent ensemble and annual repertoire, performing in more than ten productions directed by the renowned Ukrainian directors Stepan Pasichnyk and Svitlana Pasichnyk. These productions included works by Taras Shevchenko, Lina Kostenko, Martin McDonagh and Miro Gavran. In 2022, Anna moved to Oslo, Norway. In addition to working with Dahl/Hestø on “Caligula 2.0”, she has been working on Ukrainian and Norwegian film projects.

Tyrone Douglas is an Australian-born actor and theatre-maker currently making waves in Oslo, Norway. His artistic journey began in Australia, where he laid the groundwork for his craft before refining his skills and completing his degree at Høgskole Kristiania in Oslo. In 2023, Tyrone earned a Master's degree in theatre from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts (KHIO), where he conducted in-depth research on the performer’s role, with a particular focus on directing, writing, and dramaturgy. As the Artistic Director of Dårekisten Theatre in Oslo, Tyrone is at the forefront of innovative theatrical productions, driving the company’s vision to create bold and engaging work. His own artistic practice delves deep into themes of identity and existentialism, crafting narratives that are as thought-provoking as they are entertaining. Tyrone is committed to producing theatre and film that resonate with contemporary audiences, bringing fresh, meaningful perspectives to the stage and screen. His experience spans the independent theatre scene and national-level productions, where he continues to push creative boundaries and explore new frontiers in storytelling.

Christian Hestø, actor, graduated from Westerdals Oslo ACT in 2016. He is the co-founder of the Art Collaboration Dahl/Hestø and has been working for several Norwegian theaters, as well as touring with the performance «Romeo and Juliet and other catastrophic love affairs», around Europe together with Piotr Misztela. Christian has appeared in several Norwegian tv-series, and has also been a TV-host for children’s programs for the Norwegian National Broadcast TV, NRK. Christian is an established audiobook and voice actor in Norway and is also a singer and composer, hosting and performing at a Christmas concert every Desember. He has composed the music for Caligula 2.0

Piotr Misztela, actor, graduate from The Academy of Theater Arts in Wrocław. Participant of The South Baltic Academy of Independent Theatre. Further training in using theater as a social tool, and a Verbatim Theater graduate. Piotr has worked extensively as an actor in theaters in Norway (Nordland Teater, Rogaland Teater) and Poland (Teatr Polski-Wrocław, Teatr Dramatyczny-Wałbrzych, Teatr im. Norwida- Jelenia Góra, Teatr Druga Strefa-Warszawa, Teatr Rozrywki-Chorzów, Teatr Szekspirowski-Gdańsk). He is the co-founder of Teatr Strefa Otwarta (actor and director), and has been awarded scholarships from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage twice, as well as winning numerous prizes at theatre festivals.