Does Power Corrupt?

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“a prince's court
Is like a common fountain, whence should flow
Pure silver drops in general. But if't chance
Some cursed example poison't near the head,
Death and diseases through the whole land spread.”
- The Duchess of Malfi.

From the decks of the Death Star to the corridors of Whitehall, does power corrupt the virtuous, or lure the morally bankrupt? Do your ethical scruples fall away as you climb the ladder? And are the most righteous doomed never to reach the top?

Inspired by The Duchess of Malfi, this Almeida Questions panel discusses the corruptive nature of power.

Almeida Questions is an eclectic programme of pre-show discussions which consider some of the questions raised by the work on our stage.