This drama of ancient Rome is the theatrical equivalent of a page-turner, and just as much fun. Affinito picks up the story where I, Claudius leaves off, recounting the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that pitted Nero against his domineering mother Agrippina in a battle to—dare I say it—the death.

Affinito gives us a Nero far different from the gross fathead we've met in other accounts. Apparently long before he fiddled while Rome burned, he longed for freedom and a kind of reform, for himself and his people. Which is not to say that Affinito's Nero is wise or even capable-he's a bit of a flake, actually; but especially in Craig A. Brown's lovable portrayal, he seems well-intentioned if high-spirited.

Affinito keeps the action moving as Agrippina moves toward a bloody, if not quite tragic, conclusion ... I had a fun time at Agrippina, and I suspect a lot of people will, too: it's a grand, passionate yarn that's easy to lose yourself inside of for a couple of hours.