VIDEO // Caligula, Ivan Franko Theatre’s production from Kyiv presented in Chișinău

Caligula staged by Kyiv’s Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre was presented on the stage of Mihai Eminescu National Theatre in Chișinău as part of the 11th edition of the Reunion of Romanian National Theatres. Based on Albert Camus’s play of the same name, the production brings themes such as power, freedom, fear and violence to the forefront.

Directed by Ivan Uryvskyi, it was created in Ukraine during wartime, while the story of the Roman emperor Caligula is reinterpreted from a contemporary perspective. The central role revolves around a character who, after losing someone close to him, begins to challenge the limits of power and freedom, transforming this search into an act of revolt and violence.

The Embassy of Ukraine highlighted the role of the performance in fostering cultural ties between the two countries.


“The participation of the Ivan Franko National Theatre in the festival was another opportunity to present Ukrainian theatrical art to the Moldovan public and to further promote the development of cultural dialogue between Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Culture unites, creates space for dialogue and helps us get to know each other better,” the embassy said in its message.


The performance was staged in Ukrainian, with Romanian surtitles, and the audience in Chișinău rewarded it with applause.


“These applauses are filled with admiration and gratitude for these actors, for the artists and people of Ukraine, who have become a living shield against the Russian invasion. The price of our lives and freedom is being paid with their lives and blood,” representatives of Mihai Eminescu National Theatre said.




Caligula was presented as part of the programme of the 11th edition of the Reunion of Romanian National Theatres, an event that brings together in Chișinău performances by theatre institutions from the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine.

Ivan Franko Theatre’s production was created in 2022 and was subsequently presented on international stages as well.

MOLDPRES State News Agency is a media partner of the Reunion of Romanian National Theatres, an event organised annually in Chișinău by Mihai Eminescu National Theatre. The event brings together performances by national theatres from the Republic of Moldova and Romania, as well as invited productions from other countries. Now in its 11th edition, the reunion takes place on 9-21 September 2026, and aims to strengthen cultural dialogue and cooperation between theatre institutions on both banks of the Prut.