New Delhi: Aadyam Theatre, an initiative by the Aditya Birla Group, will wrap up its seventh season with The Horse, an absurdist Roman satire directed by Sangeet Natak Akademi Award-winner Sunil Shanbag. Adapted from a text by Hungarian playwright Julius Hay, the play will be staged at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi, on September 6 and 7, 2025.

The comedy unfolds in a tavern where Emperor Caligula, consumed by power and madness, engages in a night of gambling. A young boy, Selenus, enters clutching his last few possessions—including a dapple-grey horse named Incitatus. When Selenus wagers the horse in desperation, a chain of hilarious events turns Rome upside down, questioning authority, sycophancy, and the absurdity of leadership.

With biting humour and musical bravado, Shanbag transforms a historical farce into a mirror for today’s world, touching on themes of celebrity obsession, ambition, and institutional decay. The production features an ensemble cast led by Akash Khurana as Caligula and Neil Bhoopalam as Selenus, alongside Harssh Singh, Rajat Kaul, Rozzlin Pereira, Radhika Sawhney, and others.

The show integrates music by Kaizad Gherda, lyrics by Asif Ali Beg, costumes designed by Marvin D’Souza, and lighting by Hidayat Sami.

Reflecting on the project, Shanbag said the play has stayed with him for nearly four decades as a sharp satire on authoritarian absurdity and blind sycophancy. With The Horse, Aadyam Theatre delivers its most uproarious showcase of the season, an immersive blend of humour, history, and reflection.