HOME

TheInfoList

Click Here for Items Related To - Robin Redbreast (Play For Today)

OR:

Robin Redbreast (Play For Today) on: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Amazon]

"Robin Redbreast" is the first episode of first season of the British

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

anthology TV series ''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

''. The episode was a television play that was originally broadcast on 10 December 1970. "Robin Redbreast" was written by

John Griffith Bowen John Griffith Bowen (5 November 1924 – 18 April 2019) was a British playwright and novelist. Early life John Bowen was born in Calcutta, India, to Ethel (née Cook) and Hugh Bowen; his father was the manager of the Shalimar Print Works in Goba ...

, directed by

James MacTaggart James MacTaggart (25 April 1928 – 29 May 1974) was a Scottish television producer, director and writer. He worked in London from 1961. Early life MacTaggart was born in Glasgow and served in the Royal Army Service Corps from 1946, rising to ...

and produced by

Graeme MacDonald Graeme Patrick David MacDonald (30 July 1930 – 30 September 1997), sometimes credited as Graeme McDonald or Graham McDonald, was a British television producer and executive. Early life MacDonald was educated at St Paul's School, London an ...

. The play is about pagan rural customs and their interaction with modern society.

Synopsis

After she's dumped by her boyfriend,

...
script editor Norah Palmer (

Anna Cropper Anna Cropper (also Roache; 13 May 1938 – 22 January 2007) was an English stage and television actress. Early years Cropper was born in Brierfield, Lancashire, the daughter of Margaret, a stage actress and director, and Jack Cropper, a dentis ...

) leaves her friends Jake (

Julian Holloway Julian Holloway (born 24 June 1944) is a British actor. He is the son of comedy actor and singer Stanley Holloway and former chorus dancer and actress Violet Lane. He is the father of author and former model Sophie Dahl. Early life Holloway was ...

) and Madge (Amanda Walker) in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and moves to the house that she'd bought with her boyfriend in the countryside in Southern England. Norah finds the village people strange but endearing, notably Mrs. Vigo (Freda Bamford), a

busybody A busybody, do-gooder, meddler, or marplot is someone who meddles in the affairs of others. An early study of the type was made by the ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus in his typology, ''Characters'', "In the proffered services of the bus ...

housekeeper; Mr. Fisher (Bernard Hepton), a historian; Mr. Wellbeloved, the butcher; and Peter, an old man who compulsively chops wood. After she discovers an infestation of mice at her house, the villagers suggest she seek out someone named Rob, who they tell her lives in the woods. Norah finds "Rob," who turns out to be a young, handsome exterminator named Edgar, who spends his spare time practising

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

nearly nude in the forest. Edgar successfully clears Norah's house of the mice. Although she finds him personally boring, Norah is nonetheless attracted to him. After an incident in which he kills a bird that someone drops down her chimney, Norah sleeps with him, despite having misplaced her diaphragm. Soon after, Norah discovers that she's pregnant. She returns home to London for an

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...

, but decides against the procedure at the last minute and goes back to the cabin. As Easter approaches, she discovers that she's slowly being cut off from the outside world: her phone lines are cut, her car is tampered with, and the local bus driver refuses to stop for her. Norah begins to believe that she's the victim of a village-wide conspiracy and that the village plans to sacrifice her and take her child. Norah lets Edgar into her house, as he seems to be the only village person not involved in the conspiracy. While they discuss what's been happening, the villagers converge on the house in a lynch mob. Against her expectations, the villagers leave Norah alone, but Edgar is gone, apparently sacrificed. Mr. Fisher explains that the nickname "Rob" came from "Robin" and that "Robin redbreast" is a special totem in the

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

religion of the town. Edgar/Robin was raised from birth by the townspeople with the purpose of becoming a

sacrificial lamb A sacrificial lamb is a metaphorical reference to a person or animal sacrificed for the common good. The term is derived from the traditions of Abrahamic religion where a lamb is a highly valued possession. In politics In politics, a sacrificial ...

. Fisher explains that Norah's child will be the next Robin, and offers to raise the child for her so that she can return to a normal life in London. Norah refuses, but is allowed to leave nonetheless. As she departs the village, she turns back for one last look and sees that the townspeople have all transformed into pagan deities led by Fisher as

Herne the Hunter In English folklore, Herne the Hunter is a ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park in the English county of Berkshire. He is said to have antlers growing from his head, ride a horse, torment cattle, and rattle chains. The earliest m ...

Cast

as Norah Palmer *

as her friend Jake *

Amanda Walker Amanda Galafres Patterson Walker (born 29 November 1935) is an English film and television actress. Career Amanda Walker trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She is notable for roles in '' 28 Weeks Later'', ''Heat and ...

as her friend Madge *

Freda Bamford Freda may refer to: * Frida (given name), also spelled ''Freda'' * Freda (surname) * Freda (character) from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy * Ford Freda, a motor vehicle introduced in the Japanese market in 1995 * Freda Sandstone, a member of ...

as Mrs Vigo *

Bernard Hepton Francis Bernard Heptonstall (19 October 1925 – 27 July 2018) better known by the stage name Bernard Hepton, was an English theatre director and actor. Best known for his stage work and television roles in teleplays and series, he also appeare ...

as Mr Fisher * Andrew Bradford as Rob / Edgar *

Cyril Cross Cyril Cross was an English actor, who is best known for playing ''Monsieur Chargon'' in '' A Patriotic Offering '' of the first episode of the fourth series of the period drama '' Upstairs, Downstairs''. It first aired on 14 September 1974 on ...

as Peter * Robin Wentworth as Mr Wellbeloved

Production notes

Like other early episodes of ''Play for Today'', although originally recorded on colour videotape, this programme only survives in the form of a 16mm black and white film recording.

Colour recovery Colour recovery (or colour restoration) is a process which can restore lost colour to television programmes which were originally transmitted from the colour video tape which the original master was recorded on during final production prior broadc ...

was not utilised for the BFI's DVD release of the play.

References

External links

* {{Play for Today 1970 British television episodes 1970 television plays British television plays Play for Today