Whitby actor Sam Barnett to play Oppenheimer in new audio drama on World War Two bombings
Whitby-born actor Samuel Barnett appears in a new seven-part audio drama about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – and shares scenes with the grandson of President Harry S Truman.
The President and the Emperor is an exclusive new audio drama series about the decision that changed the world
This seven-part audio drama brings gripping immediacy to one of the most consequential commands in history – the dropping of the atomic bomb 80 years ago this August.
The President and the Emperor, produced by leading radio production company Made in Manchester, unfolds through newly declassified US and Japanese documents and first-hand accounts, revealing the perspectives of those whose choices shaped the end of the Second World War.
And at its centre are two powerful but isolated leaders – President Harry S Truman and Emperor Hirohito – each grappling with legacy, humanity, and devastation.
In a casting coup, Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of the president, plays Harry S Truman and is joined by acclaimed Japanese actor Sadao Ueda, who delivers a compelling and restrained performance as Emperor Hirohito.
Whitby’s Samuel Barnett (The History Boys, Dirk Gently, Desperate Romantics) rounds out the central cast as physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, whose brilliance helped birth the bomb – and whose conscience never stopped reckoning with it.
Produced by Ashley Byrne and Made in Manchester, Exec'd by Kurt Brookes, directed by Jonathan Kydd, and written by former BBC TV documentary maker Guy Smith, this is a drama where history becomes personal and every voice echoes across generations.
The series will be released initially as a podcast in August head of the VJ Day 80th commemorations.
Producer and MIM Creative Director Ashley Byrne said “it was great” to have Samuel Barnett playing the iconic Oppenheimer role.
Writer and creator of the drama Guy Smith adds: '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.
The tense meetings in Washington where President Truman wrestled with his conscience and a divided cabinet, and the desperate attempts by the Japanese emperor to persuade his hard line army generals to accept surrender terms make for a gripping testament to the final weeks of World War II.
“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,” Guy added.
The President and the Emperor will be available wherever you get your podcasts from mid-August.