By Gerard Raymond
The audience never sees His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie in The Emperor, Colin Teevan’s stage adaptation of Ryszard Kapuscinski’s eponymous book. But you get a vivid picture of the 20th-century Ethiopian autocrat and his court through memories shared by his eleven loyal servants, all portrayed by Olivier-winning actress Kathryn Hunter.
In the production, which originated at London’s Young Vic and is now running at Theatre for a New Audience, Hunter nimbly plays a motley cast of characters, including His Majesty’s pillow holder, the imperial purse bearer and the man who cleaned up whenever the Emperor’s lapdog peed — sometimes on important guests.