'A new version of Marlowe''s epic masterpiece of tyranny and ambition. Captivating, charismatic and chillingly calculating, Tamburlaine is a man to admire and to fear. Obsessed with elevating himself from his humble origins, he conquers lands and women with brutality and charm. With the throne of Persia behind him, and an eye on the East, he offers us a dark vision of our own secret ambitions and desires. Unrepentant, utterly convincing and disturbingly compelling, Marlowe''s stark epic masterpiece is a mirror of our modern world from the distant past. This production forms part of Young Genius, a major festival jointly spearheaded by the Young Vic and the Barbican Theatres and involving theatres around the country. Publication coincides with the premiere at the Bristol Old Vic in October 2005, before transferring to the London''s Barbican Theatre.'