Witchsmeller Pursuivant

2022-10-07T22:23:13Z

94.251.176.112: /* Production */

{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox television episode
| series = [[Blackadder]]
| image = Witch smeller.png
| image_alt =
| caption = [[Frank Finlay]] as the Witchsmeller Pursuivant.
| series_no = 1
| episode = 5

| writer = [[Rowan Atkinson]]<br>[[Richard Curtis]]
| director =
| airdate = {{Start date|1983|07|13|df=yes}}
| guests =
* [[Frank Finlay]]
* [[Valentine Dyall]]
| prev = [[The Queen of Spain's Beard]]
| next = [[The Black Seal]]
}}

"'''Witchsmeller Pursuivant'''" is the fifth episode of the first series of the [[BBC]] sitcom ''[[Blackadder]]'' (''[[The Black Adder]]''). It is set in [[Kingdom of England|England]] in the late 15th century and centres on the fictitious [[Prince Edmund (Blackadder)|Prince Edmund]], who finds himself falsely accused of [[witchcraft]] by a travelling [[witch-hunt]]er known as the ''Witchsmeller Pursuivant''. The story satirises mediaeval superstition and [[Religion in Medieval England|religious belief]].

[[Academy Award]]-nominated actor [[Frank Finlay]] guest stars in this episode as the Witchsmeller, and [[Valentine Dyall]] appears in a cameo.

== Plot ==
In 1495, Europe is being ravaged by the [[Black Death]], with England being no exception. Even [[Richard IV of England|King Richard IV]] has fallen ill with it, rendering him even more deranged and violent than usual; Prince Edmund goes to visit him and is nearly run through by the plague-addled king, who hallucinates him as a Turk. With the king unable to rule, [[Harry, Prince of Wales (Blackadder)|Harry, Prince of Wales]] summons the [[Privy Council]] to manage the crisis. The noblemen exchange tales of evil [[omen]]s from around the kingdom, and before long [[Mass psychogenic illness|mass-hysteria]] sets in and they declare that the realm is in the grip of witchcraft. Ignoring Prince Edmund's objections, they resolve to summon the Witchsmeller Pursuivant. Prince Edmund, accompanied by [[Lord Percy Percy|Percy]] and [[Baldrick]], goes to find out more about the Witchsmeller from the local village, but discovers the remains of a woman who has already been burned at the stake for witchcraft, along with her cat. Unbeknown to Edmund, the Witchsmeller lurks among the villagers, watching him as he boasts about his plans to give the Witchsmeller "a boot up the backside."<ref name="episode">{{Cite episode |title=Witchsmeller Pursuivant |episode-link=Witchsmeller Pursuivant |series=The Black Adder |series-link=The Black Adder |credits=Rowan Atkinson & Richard Curtis (writers) |network=[[BBC]] |station=[[BBC One]] |date=13 July 1983 |series-no=1 |number=5 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00bf5mt}}</ref>

Returning to the castle, Edmund is confronted by the Witchsmeller, who invites Edmund to undergo a [[Trial by ordeal|test]] to determine if he is a witch. Edmund agrees, but the test is rigged and he is accused of witchcraft.

Prince Edmund stands trial; Percy and Baldrick are appointed defence lawyers, but the Witchsmeller silences them before they can even start their case by condemning them also as witches. The proceedings rapidly descend into a farcical [[show trial]]. The Witchsmeller interrogates Edmund and presents three pieces of evidence in his case: Prince Edmund, who he dubs "The Great Grumbledook", has a pet cat named Bubbles (which the Witchsmeller says is "short for [[Beelzebub]]bles") who supposedly drinks blood; he has allegedly engaged in acts of [[bestiality]] with his horse, Black Satin, who supposedly has the ability to talk (the horse later dies during interrogation, but leaves a signed "confession"); and he is accused of having sexual relations with an elderly peasant woman who claims to have then given birth to a poodle. Despite their protests, Edmund, Percy and Baldrick are found guilty and sentenced to [[Death by burning|burning at the stake]]. Baldrick uses an unexplained [[teleportation]] spell to help the trio escape the courtroom, but the spell deposits them in King Richard's chambers, and the three end up having to be rescued from the delusional king by the guards. Edmund is visited by his mother, [[Gertrude of Flanders (Blackadder)|the Queen]], and his [[Child marriage|child wife]], [[List of minor Blackadder characters#Princess Leia of Hungary|Princess Leia of Hungary]]. To Edmund's dismay, they offer no escape plan but instead present him with a small doll for comfort.

On the day of the execution, Edmund and his companions have their heads shaved and are tied to stakes. Edmund rebukes Baldrick's last-minute "cunning plan" and offers a feeble confession before the Witchsmeller. When the [[pyre]] is lit, Edmund panics and drops the doll – a small, hooded effigy which bears a striking resemblance to the Witchsmeller. As the doll burns, the Witchsmeller suddenly catches fire and is incinerated, revealing it to be a [[Poppet|voodoo-doll]]. The pyre is mysteriously extinguished and the ropes tying the condemned men break away, freeing them.

In the castle, King Richard emerges from his bed-chamber, freshly recuperated from the bubonic plague. Princess Leia begins to tell him about the execution but Queen Gertrude silences her and assures him that all is well. Breaking the [[fourth wall]], the Queen looks at the viewer and winks as magical sparkles fly from her eyes. Leia quietly gasps in amazement as she realises that the Queen is the (implied) real witch.

== Cast ==
The closing credits of this episode list the cast members "in order of witchiness".<ref name="episode" /><ref>Roberts, p.420</ref>

* [[Rowan Atkinson]] – [[Prince Edmund (Blackadder)|The Great Grumbledook]]
* [[Frank Finlay]] – [[List of minor Blackadder characters#The Witchsmeller Pursuivant|The Witchsmeller Pursuivant]]
* [[Elspet Gray]] – [[Gertrude of Flanders (Blackadder)|The Witch Queen]]
* [[Tim McInnerny]] – Percy, A Witch
* [[Tony Robinson]] – Baldrick, a Witch
* [[Richard Murdoch]] – Ross, A Lord
* [[Valentine Dyall]] – [[List of minor Blackadder characters#Lord Angus|Angus, A Lord]]
* [[Peter Schofield (actor)|Peter Schofield]] – Fife, A Lord
* [[Stephen Frost]] – [[List of minor Blackadder characters#Soft|Soft, A Guard]]
* [[Mark Arden]] – [[List of minor Blackadder characters#Anon|Anon, A Guard]]
* [[Perry Benson]] – Daft Red, A Peasant
* [[Bert Parnaby]] – [[List of minor Blackadder characters#Cain & Abel|Dim Cain, A Peasant]]
* [[Roy Evans (actor)|Roy Evans]] – [[List of minor Blackadder characters#Cain & Abel|Dumb Abel, A Peasant]]
* [[Forbes Collins]] – Dopey Jack, A Peasant
* [[Patrick Duncan (actor)|Patrick Duncan]] – Officer, An Officer
* [[Barbara Miller]] – Jane Firkettle
* [[Natasha King (actress)|Natasha King]] – [[List of minor Blackadder characters#Princess Leia of Hungary|Princess Leia]]
* [[Howard Lew Lewis]] – Piers, A Yeoman
* [[Sarah Thomas (actress)|Sarah Thomas]] – Mrs. Field, A [[Goodwife]]
* [[Louise Gold]] – Mrs. Tyler, A [[Goodwife]]
* [[Brian Blessed]] – [[Richard IV of England (Blackadder)|Richard IV, A King]]
* [[Gareth Milne]] – Stuntman
=== Uncredited ===
* [[Patrick Allen]] – Narrator <small>(voice)</small>
* [[Robert East (actor)|Robert East]] – Harry, Prince of Wales
* [[Salo Gardner]] – Devil

== Production ==
[[File:Alnwick Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1558930.jpg|thumb|right|Alnwick Castle, the location for King Richard's castle.]]
This episode features a number of scenes [[location filming|filmed on location]] at [[Alnwick Castle]] in Northumberland, the setting for King Richard's castle throughout this series. Due to limitations on budget, only selected actors were filmed on location, including Frank Finlay, who filmed scenes there as the Witchsmeller. A production assistant on the series, [[Hilary Bevan-Jones]], recalls that she forgot to pick up Finlay from the location at the end of a shoot and left him behind, until the make-up team found him wandering in the snow in full Witchsmeller costume and brought him back to the hotel.<ref name="roberts111">Roberts, p. 111</ref>

Despite budgetary limitations, producer John Lloyd's account of this episode was that "it felt more like a huge feature film than a BBC comedy" on account of the [[Set construction|construction of a large set]] for the village scene and the extravagant use of [[Costume design|costume]], [[Theatrical makeup|make-up]], animals and [[Pyrotechnics|pyrotechnic]] [[stunt]]s.<ref name="roberts111" />

Actor Tony Robinson singles out "Witchsmeller Pursuivant" as the episode in which Baldrick's [[catchphrase]], ''"I have a cunning plan"'', was firmly developed. The phrase had featured in previous episodes – it had been used in the [[The Black Adder (pilot episode)|pilot episode]], and in Episode 2, "[[Born to Be King (Blackadder)|Born to be King]]", Prince Edmund and Baldrick develop it whilst plotting against [[List of minor Blackadder characters#Dougal MacAngus|Dougal McAngus]]. Robinson recalls that during the filming of episode 5, he realised that re-using the word "cunning" could be an effective [[comedic device]] and he inserted it into his line "I have a plan" as Baldrick conspires with Edmund to escape from the dungeon.<ref>Roberts, p. 113</ref>

Although the credits give recognition to [[William Shakespeare]], unlike previous episodes in this series, the script of "Witchsmeller Pursuivant" does not contain any direct references to Shakespeare's plays.<ref name=bbc-comedy>{{cite web|title=Witchsmeller Pursuivant|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/blackadder/epguide/one_witchsmeller.shtml|work=BBC Comedy guide|accessdate=16 February 2013|year=2003}}</ref>
The title is a parody of the [[Vincent Price]] film, [[Witchfinder General (film)|Witchfinder General]].

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==
* {{cite book|last=Roberts|first=JF|title=The True History of the Black Adder : The complete and unadulterated history of the creation of a comedy legend|year=2012|publisher=Preface|location=London|isbn=9781848093461}}
* {{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Katherine|title=Mass Market Medieval : Essays on the Middle Ages in Popular Culture|year=2007|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, N.C. [u.a.]|isbn=9780786429226|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LroNNbbvcBoC&pg=PA113|editor=Marshall, David W.|chapter=8. Accident, my Coddlings}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote|Blackadder#Witchsmeller Pursuivant|Witchsmeller Pursuivant}}
* {{BBC Online|programmes/p00bf5mt|"Witchsmeller Pursuivant"}}
* {{IMDb episode|0526543}}

{{Blackadder}}

[[Category:Blackadder episodes]]
[[Category:1983 British television episodes]]
[[Category:Fiction set in the 1490s]]
[[Category:Television shows written by Rowan Atkinson]]
[[Category:Television episodes about witchcraft]]
[[Category:Television shows written by Richard Curtis]]

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Witchsmeller Pursuivant