Ahead of the launch tomorrow (Sunday August 31st) of the epic new landmark drama about the decision to drop the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, Sadao Ueda chats to Ashley Byrne about playing Emperor Hirohito. Sadao grew up in Japan and here he talks about what he was taught about the devastating events at school in the 1970s. He also reflects on taking on a part he's really wanted to play all his acting career.
Sadao Ueda is in conversation with Ashley Byrne.
A Made in Manchester Production
Coming soon ....The President and The Emperor brings to life the story behind one of the most consequential decisions in modern history, the dropping of the atomic bomb eighty years ago.
Told in seven parts and produced by indie company Made in Manchester, the series draws on newly declassified US and Japanese documents, along with first-hand testimony, to present a dual-perspective account of the final days of the Second World War.
At the heart of the drama are two isolated but powerful figures, President Harry S. Truman and Emperor Hirohito. They navigate moral and political dilemmas as the world teeters on the brink of nuclear devastation.
In a unique casting move, Truman is portrayed by his real-life grandson, Clifton Truman Daniel, adding an intimate connection to a role few could approach with such personal insight.
He stars alongside acclaimed Japanese actor Sadao Ueda, who plays Hirohito with quiet intensity and emotional nuance.
“This drama is not about who was right or wrong in the war,” Ueda says. “It presents historical facts dramatically from two different points of view. I hope the listener will reflect on what global conflict might mean if it ever happened again.”
Samuel Barnett plays Robert Oppenheimer
The President and the Emperor is written by Guy Smith, directed by Jonathan Kydd and produced by Ashley Byrne. The Executive Producer is Kurt Brookes.
Guy Smith says: ''I wanted to find out what really took place behind the scenes in Washington and Tokyo in the weeks leading up to the most momentous - and controversial - decision in the history of modern warfare; the order to drop the atomic bomb on Japan.
And, just as importantly, I wanted to find out if that world changing event could have been avoided. Was it inevitable? Or could the conflict have been ended without the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
The more I dug into the archives and examined first hand accounts of those who were there at the White House and Imperial Palace, I discovered an extraordinary story full of intrigue, drama and turmoil.
Now, as the world once again moves closer to the threat of nuclear conflict than at any time since the Cold War, I hope The President and the Emperor provides listeners with a timely warning on the dangers of escalating tensions and failing to explore all possible opportunities to stop man's inhumanity to man.'
With thanks to:
The National Security Archive, Washington DChttps://nsarchive.gwu.edu
The Harry S Truman Library, Independence, MOhttps://www.trumanlibrary.gov
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