The Emperor

Ryszard Kapuscinski, Colin Teevan

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781786820389
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Littérature
• Subtopic: Théâtre britannique

Master of transformation Kathryn Hunter brings to life an extraordinary fable of corruption, avarice and the collapse of absolute power. A world premiere based on the astonishing book by legendary journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski about the decline and fall of Haile Selassie's regime in Ethiopia, from the team that brought you Kafka's Monkey. 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.

Act Three

In 1973, journalist Jonathan Dimbleby arrived in Ethiopia. Instead of showing how Haile Selassie saw to development as he had before, he went north. He returned and left straight away for England. There his documentary, The Unknown Famine was broadcast to widespread outcry.

Z.S.-K.:

The liar, the perjurer, the unprincipaled propagandist!

This Dimbleby showed pictures of people dying of hunger,

Then cut to His Venerable Highness feasting with dignitaries.

Then roads on which dozens of poor, starved skeletons lay,

Then airplanes bringing champagne and caviar from Europe.

Then starving, crying children,

Then His Highness serving meat to his dogs from a silver plate.

This Dimbleby claimed between one and two hundred thousand people

Had died as a result of this famine.

What does this Dimbleby understand of famine?

Drought comes, the earth dries up,

Cattle die and peasants starve.

The law of nature, eternal and normal.

But now, now we were invaded

By the world’s foreign correspondents.

Z.S.-K. fields questions in a press conference in various languages and accents.

JOURNALISTS’ VOICES (Offstage):

What measures has the government taken

For dealing with this famine?

Z.S.-K.:

There is no famine.

JOURNALISTS’ VOICES (Offstage):

Why has the Emperor asked for aid?

Z.S.-K.:

Because His Majesty attaches

The utmost importance to hunger.

JOURNALISTS’ VOICES (Offstage):

Why can’t we go north?

Z.S.-K.:

Because the roads are full of bandits.

I will take you on a guided tour around the capital,

Show you our development instead.

JOURNALISTS’ VOICES (Offstage):

We don’t want development, we want famine.

Z.S.-K.:

You can’t have famine!

How can there be famine

When there is development?

JOURNALISTS’ VOICES (Offstage):

What about the food stored in warehouses?

Z.S.-K.:

What food? There is no food.

JOURNALISTS’ VOICES (Offstage):

The Emperor’s officials have horded foreign aid

To push up the market value.

Z.S.-K.:

Impossible.

That is a slander to His Divine Majesty.

What proof have you?

JOURNALISTS’ VOICES (Offstage):

Photographs.

Z.S.-K.:

What photographs?

JOURNALISTS’ VOICES (Offstage):

Taken by students.

Z.S.-K.:

Students!

The SINGER as STUDENT LEADER grabs the microphone.

STUDENT LEADER:

Ahun seratu yemiyabebet ye megemeriyaw gizay newe.

Yehe memotnew

Hageritun yegedele ye chelema sereate,

Be gubo yetemola,

Hezbachen be erehabe eyemote.

Be hageritu serate betam enafralen

Ahun menem yelenem

Kzihe serat mewtat aleben,

Erasachenen ke chelema hiwot mawtat aleben

Yehenen serhat alem liyawokew yegebal

Yehe meweged alebet.

‘This is the beginning of the end for you all.

This death up north

Darkens the country with shame.

We are drowning in corruption,

While our people are dying of hunger.

We are ashamed of this country,

Yet we have no other,

We have to dig it out of the mud,

Drag it out of the dark ourselves.

Your Palace has humiliated us before the world,

It must go.’

Z.S-K:

For you, Hailu, there exists only the twentieth century,

Or this twenty first century,

In which you say blessed justice will reign!

Young people, very, very young people!

Z.S.-K, having lost the run of himself, is interrupted by the interviewer, returns to interview mode.

Z.S-K:

Yes. I told you,

He died before this.

Were you not listening?

But it was these young peopl...