The Empty King created a mythical figure and a whole world from grotesque, archetypal images. The drama was originally conceived as a student tirade against a teacher at Jarry's school, the Lyceum of Rennes. This teacher, Hébert, was the target of public ridicule. In 1888, at the age of 15, Jarry wrote a puppet play about the exploits of the Woolly Tartar and staged it to the amusement of his friends. The figure of Übü is a crude, cruel caricature of the foolish, selfish bourgeoisie as seen through the unrelenting gaze of a schoolboy; but this Rabelaisian figure, in all his falstaffian greed and cowardice, is more than a mere social satire. It is a terrifying picture of man's animal nature, his evil and cruelty. The Katona József Theatre in Budapest premiered Jarry's play in 1984, and it ran continuously for more than 10 years.
László Sinkó
as Übü papa
Juli Básti
as Übü mama
Dénes Ujlaky
as Paszomány kapitány
Tamás Végvári
as Vencel király
Éva Olsavszky
as Rozamunda királyné
László Szacsvay
as Bugrislav királyfi
Frigyes Hollósi
as Pillér töstér
József Horváth
as Lecsinszky Szaniszló
József Horváth
as Elek cár
Zoltán Papp
as Pajzs töstér
Endre Kátay
as Lászky tábornok
Endre Kátay
as Könisbergi Máté
