The Empress

Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, 1887. At East London's Tilbury Docks, Rani Das and Abdul Karim step ashore after the long voyage from India. One has to battle a society who deems her a second-class citizen; the other forges an astonishing entanglement with the ageing Queen Victoria who finds herself enchanted by stories of an India over which she rules, but has never seen. Through narrative, music and song, The Empress blends the true story of Queen Victoria's controversial relationship with her Indian servant and 'Munshi' (teacher), Abdul Karim, with the experiences of Rani, a young Indian ayah who confronts the challenges of life in 19th-century London. In doing so, the play uncovers remarkable unknown stories of Victorian Britain and charts the growth of Indian nationalism and the romantic proclivities of one of Britain's most surprising monarchs. -- Back cover