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CALIGULA AND THE SEA

The VAULTS Festival
February 2023
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Director

Yuxuan Liu

Production Designer

Fiona McKeon

Dramaturg

Jacey Casel

Movement Director

Sean Croft

Sound Designer

Hannah Bracegirdle

Lighting Designer

Aaron Dootson

Puppet Designer

Noah Silverstone

Stage Manager

Emily Dudley

Caligula

Noah Silverstone

Cassius Chaerea

Felix Ryder

Neptune

Riko Nakazono

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THE DESIGN

The sea and urban environment were the two key aspects of Caligula’s world. Embracing the built nature of the venue’s train station vaults, the design used Roman style columns to create the moments of Caligula’s urban life. The deconstructed silk parachute with it’s fluid movement, created the sea and rivers. It demonstrated nature and Neptune’s power and continued in their costume.

Costumes drew a modern connection to Ancient Rome, using key period elements and colours to demonstrate the characters role in society.

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THE STORY

This work sprang from the myth of Emperor Caligula  waging war on nature by sending his soldiers to subdue the sea by means of force, throwing their spears at the waves.

It was constructed around the use of physical theatre, puppetry and text which was written during the R&D and rehearsal processes. Caligula’s relationships with Cassisus Chaerea, head of his Praetorian Guard and Neptune, God of the Seas drove the story as they both changed from being friends to adversaries through Caligula’s choices and actions.

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Photographer 

Craig Fuller

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