This programme of work explores the context, themes and processes of Tanika Gupta's 2013 production of The Empress.
About the production
The Empress by Tanika Gupta was commissioned by the RSC in 2013 and performed in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. Directed by Emma Rice and designed by Lez Brotherston the auditorium became the inside of a ship using a huge white sail as a backdrop for projected images and videos to enhance the story-telling while the stage was surrounded by water to symbolise Britain as an island.
Read the original programme.
A new production of The Empress was produced in 2023, directed by Pooja Ghai in the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. However, the resources on this page look back at the 2013 production.
Explore our Teacher Pack for the 2023 production.
The following sections include films, text and online activities created with Tanika Gupta (Writer), Emma Rice (Director), Lez Brotherston (Designer) and Ankur Bahl (Choreographer).