The Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) production of The Empress, by Tanika Gupta, has opened in the Swan Theatre for the Summer. This timely and evocative play is brought sharply into focus in 2023 and offers a fresh perspective on Britain’s relationship with its imperial past and how it continues to shape the country’s identity today.

The Empress is now running in the Swan Theatre until Friday 15 September 2023 before transferring to the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in London from Wednesday 4 October to Saturday 28 October. The production will then return to the Swan Theatre from Wednesday 1 November to Saturday 18 November 2023.

Set in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, the play tells the story of the sixteen-year-old Rani Das, ayah (nursemaid) to an English family, who arrives at Tilbury docks after a long voyage from India, to start a new life in Britain. On the boat, Rani befriends a lascar (sailor), an Indian politician and a royal servant destined to serve the Queen. Full of hopes and dreams of what lies ahead, they each embark on an extraordinary journey.

Spanning a period of 13 years over the ‘Golden Era’ of Empire, this epic drama takes audiences from the rugged gangways of Tilbury docks to the grandeur of Queen Victoria’s Palace, whilst unveiling the long and embedded culture of British Asian history which continues to shape our society today.

Making her RSC debut, Tanya Katyal plays Rani Das. Her theatre credits include When Mountains Meet at Cottiers Theatre, Glasgow. Television credits include Netflix’s Eternally Confused and Eager for Love. Raj Bajaj plays Abdul Karim. Raj’s previous RSC credits include Tamburlaine, Tartuffe and Much Ado About Nothing. Alexandra Gilbreath plays Queen Victoria. Alexandra is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company, where her credits include; Cymbeline, The Provoked Wife, The Rover and Shakespeare Live!

Tanika Gupta has written over 25 stage plays that have been produced in major theatres across the UK. Her critically acclaimed adaptation of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House set in colonial Calcutta launched Rachel O’Riordan’s first season as Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in 2019.

You can catch The Empress at:

Stratford-upon-Avon
Friday 7 July – Saturday 18 November

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Wednesday 4 – Saturday 28 October