When a group of young performers take on the world’s greatest showman, can their abilities overcome his power?
In an alternate 1899, Solomon Hunt leaves home after his father’s death to seek income for his family, only to stumble into the adventure of a lifetime when he rescues the Seer, a young genius showman, from captivity in a sideshow.
Together, the duo flee across the terrifying, entertainment-obsessed Empire of America, evading a group of vicious pursuers led by Leopold J. Coop, who not only dominates the Empire through his circus-like extravaganzas, but seeks to be president too.
From Buffalo to New Orleans, Denver to Los Angeles, and everywhere in between, Solomon and the Seer befriend and recruit diverse young performers trapped in shows, including a human cannonball, a giant acrobat, a blues musician, an outlaw gunslinger, a talking gorilla, and more. As Coop closes in and vile secrets are revealed, the ragtag troupe prepare an explosive, groundbreaking performance intended to save them all.
“With savagery that cuts to the bone — and without glossing over North Britain’s racialized abuses — Peacock highlights the American entertainment industry’s exploitation of vulnerable, marginalized people in this tense, triumphant outing. ... A memorable cast animates this dark, disturbing, and insightful vision.”