Royce Ryton
Adapted for radio by Alison Plowden
The action of the play takes place in the hall of a small shooting lodge in Poland called Spala. A pleasant retreat for Nicholas II, Tsar of Russia, and his wife and children. It is October 1912 and the Imperial family have just arrived to spend a quiet holiday. But the holiday would eventually lead the Tsarina Alexandra placing the fate of her son, her husband and his empire in the hands of a wandering holy man.
Though on holiday, Tsar Nicholas II still has an Empire to run as he worries over the state of internal affairs as well as the future of foreign affairs. With rumours of a war looming with Germany, Nicholas tries to convince his eldest daughter, Olga, now 17, that it would be in the best interest of Russia if she marry Prince Carol of Romania.
Meanwhile, as the Romanovs try to keep secret Alexei's illness, a crisis occurs when he suffers a life-threatening haemorrhage in the thigh and there is nothing any physician could do for him. The 8-year-old Heir to the Throne is fighting for his life. To the devastated Alexandra, it seems that God is not answering her prayers to heal her son and so, in desperation, she sends a telegram to Grigori Rasputin....
Cast:
Tsarina Alexandra Fyorodovna.........Rachel Gurney
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia......... Noel Johnson
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna......... Patricia Gallimore
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaievna......... Elizabeth Proud
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna......... Rita Staines
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna......... Deborah Dallas
Grand Duke Alexei Nikolaevich......... Jo Manning Wilson
Dowager Empress Marie of Russia......... Margo Boyd
Grand Duke Alexander Michaelovich......... Hector Ross
Crown Princess Maria (Missy) of Romania......... Madi Hedd
Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden......... Sonia Fraser
Prince Nicholas Yussupov......... James Thomason
Prince Carol of Romania......... John Rye
Princess Radziwill of Poland......... Hilda Kriseman
Doctor Botkin......... George Raistrick
Count Fredericks, Minister of the Imperial Court......... Clifford Norgate
Produced by Norman Wright.
First Broadcast Saturday Night Theatre 25th July 1970
Size 81MB. Length 88 Minutes. Bitrate 128kbps
Replies
Thank you!
William:
You have a typo in the title: It should be "SPALA" not "SPARLA"
O O P S !!!
Phixt.
Thanks from me, too!
Thanks, William!