Master of transformation Kathryn Hunter brings to life an extraordinary fable of corruption, avarice, and the collapse of absolute power in The Emperor.
The world premiere production is based on The Emperor, legendary Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuściński’s unparalleled 1978 account of the fall of Haile Selassie, who ruled Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974.
In The Emperor, a co-production between HOME, the Young Vic, and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Hunter creates a mesmerising cast of characters, all servants to a despotic ruler on the brink of downfall.
In a kingdom obsessed with title and tradition, the lowly and the loyal have incredible stories to tell, and Kathryn Hunter tells them all.
Adapted by Colin Teevan and directed by Walter Meierjohann, HOME’s Artistic Director: Theatre, The Emperor reunites the team behind Kafka’s Monkey, which played to sell-out houses at HOME in 2015, and features live music performed by Temesgen Zeleke, leader of London-based three-piece Ethiopian band Krar Collective.
