A Pageant Of Elizabethan England

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32360, 28 July 1970, Page 3

A Pageant Of Elizabethan England

Scotland’s great writer, Sir Walter Scott? should surely be the source of excellent television. His romances in verse and his romances in prose are steeped in the historical and antiquarian interests in which Scott was absorbed. A 8.8. C. adaptation of Scott’s romantic novel “Kenilworth” begins today on the CHTV3 afternoon session. The adaptation is in four parte, each of 45 minutes. “Kenilworth” is set In the England of Elizabeth I. Scott did not attempt to be historically accurate and in “Kenilworth” we have a distillation of history to give us a story which is more than a tragedy; it is a pageant of Elizabethan England, with all its richness and romance. Amy Robsart, beautiful daughter of a Cornish squire, has so captivated the Earl of Leicester, favourite of the Queen, that he forgets his ambition for power sufficiently to marry her. But he dare not reveal the marriage to Elizabeth, and Amy is hidden away at Cumnor Place near Oxford. Edmund Tressilian, who once hoped to marry Amy, tracks her down. She refuses to return to her father and will give no explanation of her flight Tressilian concludes that she is the mistress of Leicester’s lieutenant, Richard Varney. The Queen rebukes Leicester for his prolonged absence from Court and sends the Royal Physician to attend his rival, the Earl of Sussex, ill with suspected poisoning. His cousin, Tressilian, and Walter Raleigh refuse to admit the physician, as Sussex has been given a rare drug and will die if disturbed. This lese-majeste enrages the Queen. But Raleigh lays himself —and his cloak—al her feet, and his wit and daring win her over. Sht accuses Varney of seducing Amy. He claims that she ii his wife, and Leicester sup ports the lie. Elizabeth com' mands Varney to present his “wife” to her when she visits Leicester at Kenilworth. Amy refuses Leicester’s re quest to masquerade as Var ney's wife. Varney tries tc poison her, but with the heli of Tressilian’s servant, Way' land, she reaches Kenilworth Leicester decides to tell the Queen the truth, but Varney convinces him Amy has been unfaithful' with Tressilian She is taken back to Cumnor Later Leicester learns that

Varney has lied. He confesses to the Queen who sends for Amy. But the messengers arrive too late. Amy is dead, murdered by Varney. Jeremy Brett plays the Cornish square Edmund Tressilian. John Fraser appears as Varney. Gemma Jones appears as Queen Elizabeth. Prunella Ransome plays Amy Robsart Graham Lines plays Leicester, and his rival, Sussex, is played by David Lang-

ton. Barry Jackson appears as Tressilian’s servant, Wayland Smith; George Innes appears as Varney’s unscrupulous henchman Mike Lambourne, and John Bryans appears as the custodian of Cumnor, Anthony Foster. The novel was adapted for television by Anthony Steven, who also dramatised “The l Count of Monte Cristo,” “The Three Musketeers” and part of “The Forsyte Saga.” I