Theatre's claim to uniqueness is premised on the experience of liveness and presence -- a claim that seems to have survived despite serious challenges at the level of theory and practice. How can we think of the political and ethical promises of presence in an era of hyper mediation? Can theatre provide us with a unique experience of and insight into questions of justice which are not replicable in any other medium? How does a performance stake its own claims to authority in a way that challenges our imagination of sovereignty? Delivering the 20th Safdar Hashmi's Memorial Lecture, Lawrence Liang raises questions about the relationship between theatre, performance and the imagination of justice.