When does the premiere of Caligula take place?

The premiere takes place on Friday, November 13, 2026, at 8:00 PM.

How long does the performance last?

According to the schedule, the event lasts from 8:00 to 10:15 PM.

Where will Caligula be performed?

The performance takes place at the theaterWorkshop Ulm e.V. at Schillerstraße 1, 89077 Ulm.

How much do the tickets cost?

The regular admission costs 13 Euro, reduced tickets are available for 10 Euro.

Who is directing Caligula?

The direction is taken by Thomas Laengerer.

What is Albert Camus’ Caligula about?

The drama tells the story of a ruler who, after a personal loss, seeks the Absolute and forces his surroundings into a dangerous experiment of power, arbitrariness, and resistance.

Caligula in Ulm: When Power Becomes a Grotesque Stage and Language Becomes a Weapon

Name: Caligula
Start: 2026-11-13T20:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-13T22:15:00+01:00
Location: theaterWerkstatt Ulm e.V.

Caligula in Ulm: A Tyrant Between Grotesque and Philosophical Abyss

On November 13, 2026, the Theater Workshop Ulm will premiere its new production of Albert Camus’ Caligula. This grotesque tyrannical drama combines sharp philosophical thoughts with an explosive, witty, and simultaneously brutal storyline. Under the direction of Thomas Laengerer, a stage experience is created that confronts historical fantasies of power with the political and societal tensions of the present.

An Emperor Turns the Stage into an Experiment

Camus’ drama from 1938 tells the story of a ruler who loses all certainty after the death of his sister and lover Drusilla. Caligula seeks the Absolute and plunges his surroundings into a dangerous experiment: How much arbitrariness, humiliation, and violence can people endure before resistance arises?

The production views the Roman emperor not as a mere historical figure but as a highly intelligent power broker. His reign appears as a theatrical construction, in which language, rituals, and public appearances become weapons. It is this combination of political parable, black humor, and existential insecurity that gives the play its lasting relevance.

Grotesque Energy and Contemporary Sharpness

The dramaturgy leans towards the exaggerated, wild tone of Alfred Jarry's grotesque plays. This creates a tension field between philosophical reflection and scenic overwhelm. The audience does not experience a distant history lesson but a nervous theater atmosphere where power constantly changes its shape.

The set design and costumes are the responsibility of Bettina Maigler and Elke Brandenburger. Lighting and technical aspects are in the hands of Ralf Puhane, Rudolf Seidel, and Julian Gosolitsch. The set creates a visual resonance space for a production in which every sign carries political weight: body postures, glances, lighting changes, and the acoustic presence of language.

Acting in the Tension Field of Power

Lucia-Maria Altavini, Karin Kerschbaum, Karen Knaier, Ayla Laengerer, Jill Steingrüber, Patrick Steiner-Hirth, Hanne Thießen, Sascha Tittel, and Jürgen Witschen make up the ensemble. Their acting captures the changing temperatures of the evening: from apparent lightness through grotesque exaggeration to oppressive violence.

Camus’ Caligula is regarded as a tragedy of unrestrained will to power. The ruler appears not as a one-dimensional despot but as a cunning intellectual criminal who leads his subjects further to the limits of endurance. The production of the Theater Workshop Ulm thus places a question at the center that extends far beyond antiquity: What happens when a society witnesses a ruler crossing every boundary?

An Evening with Echo

The premiere lasts from 20:00 to 22:15. The stage experience promises a concentrated mixture of philosophical theater, black comedy, and political tension. The Theater Workshop Ulm stands for dynamic amateur theater with professional aspirations and turns Camus’ text into an immediate evening about power, responsibility, and resistance.

Conclusion: Caligula takes the audience into a world where rule becomes performance and language becomes an instrument of power. Those who want to experience theater as a lively confrontation with the present, history, and human abyss will find in the Theater Workshop Ulm an evening full of friction, energy, and thought-provoking resonance.