The Queen and the Rebels, Part 2

Summary

1963 BBC production for schools of The Queen and the Rebels by Ugo Betti, presented in three parts.

Theatre play

The Queen and the Rebels [La regina e gli insorti] by Ugo Betti (1892-1953) [more information]

Play synopsis

'Rebel forces who are trying to form a new Republic are searching for Queen Elisabetta, who is believed to have escaped the destruction of her headquarters and to be attempting to flee the country, in disguise. Suspecting spies on board, a lorrie is stopped as it tries to pass through a hillside village that the rebels control. The suspected passengers are forced into a large hall in the main public building to be interrogated. There are two women in the party of travellers, a peasant woman and a girl who is apparently a wealthy call-girl named Argia. The latter is suspected of being the queen, but she herself treats the peasant woman as though she is the queen. Relying on the villagers’ interpreter, Raim, who knew her before the war, to establish her identity, Argia has the ground pulled out from under her when he refuses to do so for fear of the authorities (who might then decide he is an accomplice). At first, Argia wanted to turn the Queen in but after she tells Argia of the ordeals she has endured, Argia takes pity on her and plans to help her to escape...' (source: http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/review-the-queen-and-the-rebels.html).

Production history

Dated to 1949.

Date of transmission

Tuesday 15 October 1963

Time

2.05-2.35pm

Series

Schools

Channel

BBC Television

Credits

Producer

Ronald Eyre

Playwright

Ugo Betti (1892-1953)

Adapted for Television by

Ronald Eyre

Translator

Henry Reed

Designer

Stuart Walker

Introduced by

James Grout

Cast

Georgine Anderson	Elisabetta
Kent Baker	Caretaker
Brian Coburn	Maupa
Robert Gillespie	Raim
Esmond Knight	General Biante
Alan MacNaughtan (1920-2002)	Commissar Amos
Judy Parfitt	Argia
Tony Steedman	Engineer

Additional details

Later transmissions

Repeated on Wednesday 16 October 1963 at 11.05am.

Play tags

Italian drama; thriller

Programme context tags

schools television programming

Audiovisual sources

Title

The Queen and the Rebels (BBC, 1963)

Archive

BBC Information and Archives [more information]

Address

White City
London
UK

Telephone

+44 (0)20 8008 2288

Website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/informationandarchives/

Access

BBC Information and Archives is not open to the public.

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 10 October 1963 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 30

Associated programmes

The Queen and the Rebels, Part 1 (1963)
The Queen and the Rebels [La regina e gli insorti] by Ugo Betti (1892-1953)
BBC Television (Schools)

The Queen and the Rebels, Part 3 (1963)
The Queen and the Rebels [La regina e gli insorti] by Ugo Betti (1892-1953)
BBC Television (Schools)