Catweazle Episode 25- THE MAGIC CIRCLE (SCENE BY SCENE)

[michaellevenson]

Catweazle gets off his tricycle that he got from a junk shop earlier in this his second visit to 20th century England , he is carrying a glass jar filled with water with a couple of fish in it swimming about, and enters Duck Halt, the deserted railway station that is his home.
He places the jar on the floor to complete his search for examples of all 12 signs of the zodiac. He has them in a circle on the floor, including among others, a bath mat with a bowman motif on it , a armband with a goat logo on it, he has examples of all 12 signs.

He turns to Touchwood his toad.
C " the sign of the fish, 12 signs of the zodiac, the great quest is almost ended. Now I have them all. I shall fly."
He picks up his magician's stick and looks heavenwards.
C " Algar, Tetragram, Shempamparash, where is the 13th sign"
He listens for an answer from the deities.
C" where is the 13th sign?"
He turns to Touchwood,
Geoffrey Bayldon is Catweazle.

C " Touchwood thou art my familiar, where is the sign"
The toad croaks,
C " thou mirksome kinded wimble , what use are thou?"
More croaking,
C " aye, none, may thy warts grow warts. Mayhap I must begin again. But where did thou begin again in this new world Catweazle?....( smiles)...the moat...and the magic power of water..yes!"

 

[michaellevenson]

In the drawing room of King's Farthing Lord Collingford puts the phone down glumly, Lady Collingford and Cedric are there too.
LC " well, the bank won't help "
LyC " oh dear"
LC " we'll just have to think again "
LyC " I suppose we could sell the car"
LC " who to, a museum, we need 10,000 pounds. Trouble is I love the old place, don't really want to sell it "
Cd " what about the treasure?"
LC " please Cedric don't start that again there's a good chap"
Cd " but if we really searched"
LyC " no darling "
LC " my father once spent an entire summer digging up the croquet lawn, all he found was 8 arrowheads , 2 cannonballs and a key to the front door, people just aren't interested anymore in paying to see the historical weapons we have displayed here. I think they come here just to draw on the walls "
LyC " or throw cigarette packets into the moat"
LC " Groome is clearing them away now..( sighs)..don't suppose he'll be doing that next year "
Moray Watson is Lord Collingford (Charles). Elspeth Gray is Lady Collingford ( Dotty)

 

[michaellevenson]

Henry Groome the handyman and gardener is pushing a wheelbarrow across the lawns to the moat ready to fish rubbish out of it. Suddenly he stops , he hears moaning, he silently walks up to moat and sees Catweazle sitting on bank calling up to the heavens.
C " what is the 13th sign.....oooohh...what is the 13th sign"
G " hey you"
Catweazle spins round and sees Groome and runs away. Groome in pursuit.
G " come back you...."
Cedric looking out of the window of the drawing room sees this.
Catweazle comes to a concreted section of the bank, where a sort of jetty goes out into the water, he runs along it, and realises he's trapped as Groome cuts off his retreat. Catweazle looks to the water, he has to try to jump across.
G " don't try it"
Catweazle does indeed jump in and splashes into the water, AND THEN BOUNCES OUT , and lands back on the bank, BONE DRY! Groome faints, in a heap on the grass.
Catweazle stares unbelieving at what happened, he pats himself, his robe is dry.
Cautiously he peers into water, then straightens and says,
C " salmy dalmy adonay " and jumps in again.
The same result , he looks at the unconscious Groome and casually walks off.
Cedric runs up to Groome a few minutes later.
Gary Warren is Cedric, Peter Butterworth is Groome.

Cd " Mr Groome are you okay "
Groome stirs, he's okay.

 

[michaellevenson]

In the drawing room all are present as Groome comes to terms with what he saw.
Mavis Gowdy the housekeeper hands him a cup of tea.
MG " here you are Henry "
G "...jumped in......bounced out....bone dry."
LC " gently Groome gently "
G ( shouting and blubbering)" BOUNCED OUT...BONE DRY....he was bone dry"
LyC " do you think it's overwork?"
LC " what..Groome?!"
LyC " there's someone I know who might be able to help"
LC " who's that Dotty?"
LyC ( thumbing through directory) " he specializes in this sort of thing. "
Groome is still in shock,
G " jumped in...bounced back bone dry "
MG " of course he was Henry "
Dotty has found the number,
LyC " ah....here it is...Doctor Renwick...Benjamin Renwick "
Gwen Nelson is Mrs Gowdy.

In the woods Cedric finds a sullen looking Catweazle by a tree.
Cd " Catweazle what an earth did you do to Groome?"
C " Owlface the way back is barred"
Cd " what?"
C " I cannot get into water"
Cd " what are you talking about "
C" water, the magic power of water that carries me through time...oh thou empty headed acorn I'll show you"
Cd " stop fooling about , you scared Groome half silly "
C " but how shall I get back?"
Cd " on your tricycle of course "
C " ( angry) " thy maggot....listen "
Cd " not now Catweazle....please get lost "
Cedric leaves him,
C " nay Owlface , I am already lost, trapped in thy time forever "

 

[michaellevenson]

Dr Renwick is in the drawing room, everyone is there trying to help. Renwick has a slight German accent.
Dr R " now tell me everything"
G " but I've already told everyone everything "
LC " come along Groome we're all here to help you"
G " I don't need help m' Lord"
Dr R " perhaps it is better we are alone"
Everyone leaves,
G " don't go m 'Lord"
LyC " it's alright Groome "
G " but....m' Lady"
Derek Godfrey is Renwick.


Renwick sits next to Groome,
R " don't worry my boy, you must relax very important you know"
Renwick takes out a pocket watch and gently swings it to and fro before Groome .
R " watch....you feel sleepy...sleep...that's it...you must sleep "
Renwick slowly drifts off to sleep himself.
G " here doc, you alright "
Renwick snaps out of it,
R " er..where was I "
G " don't ask me"

 

[michaellevenson]

Dr R " now tell me what exactly did you see. Don't be afraid to tell me everything "
G " alright if you must know, I saw this old man with a beard"
Renwick takes out a notebook and writes.
R " a beard...good..have you seen him before "
G " yeah, I keep seeing him....he is dressed in a long brown robe, and sometimes he rides a ....a...tricycle "
R " tricycle..go on"
G " he was standing by the moat and as soon as I started to chase him he tried to jump across and he fell in...then..then.."
R " yes..yes"
G " he bounced back like a ball, he was absolutely dry he was, even his feet "
R " I see......but that's quite impossible my dear chap"
G " I KNOW THAT!!...ANY FOOL KNOWS THAT "
Groome stands and goes over to the window.
R " calm down Mr Broom"
G " IT'S GROOME...GROOME "
R " sorry, Mr Groome Groome "
Groome suddenly sees Catweazle again on the lawn, Catweazle sees him, and runs.
G " it's him"
Groome clambers out of window and is in pursuit.
G " here...come back ...come back.."
Catweazle reaches his tricycle and jumps on and pedals away, Groome gets on his bike which was leaning up on the outside wall of the manor house.
Groome chasing Catweazle as they pedal off down the driveway that leads to the country lane at the end of the estate. Dr.Renwick running after them, but then sees a bike propped up against a railing. It belongs to Cedric but Renwick gets on it and follows.
Catweazle reaches the end of the driveway and turns right....and sees dozens of cyclists heading towards him, a road race , all cyclists in gear, a proper competitive race. Catweazle nimbly manoeuvres his tricycle out the way onto the grass as they pass.
Groome is next to reach the lane he turns left , looks behind him and screams.
G " AARRGGHH help "
The cyclists surround him,
Cyclist " get out the way old fool"
He can't get out the way, he tries to stop but there's shouts of " move it move it you're in the way ". The pelaton whizzes away down the road ,Groome is swept along.
Finally Renwick reaches the lane and looks right to see Catweazle pedalling away.
Dr R ( consults notebook) " beard, brown robe, riding a tricycle....hey Sir....I'd like a word please "

 

[michaellevenson]

Groome meanwhile can't disentangle himself from the racing cyclists, if he tries to slow he is shouted at.
" get moving " and " out the way"

The road ahead bends sharply but Groome can't turn at this speed accurately and veers off the road and into a ditch, and ends up face down in the mud.
He climbs back on his bike for the pedal back.
Meanwhile Renwick has followed Catweazle back to Duck Halt. He dismounts from the bike and gingerly opens the waiting room door on the platform of the abandoned station and enters.
R " where are you my friend. I won't hurt you, don't be frightened "
He sees Touchwood sitting on the table, he looks around, the room chock full of junk. Suddenly Catweazle comes up behind him and attempts to throw a large net over him, but Renwick dodges it.
C " get thee gone, it is my chamber, be gone thy prying fox. Would thou steal Touchwood "
R " Touchwood?"
C " my faithful minion "
R " no never, I am a friend "
C " art thou, I know thee not"
R ( offering hand) " Renwick...Benjamin Renwick "
Catweazle looks at Renwick's outstretched hand and nods.
R " can I sit down "
C " thou knowest that better than I"
Renwick sits on a bench , Catweazle sits next to him.
R " nice place you have here"
Catweazle holds two bananas and offers one to Renwick.
R " thank you, you're very kind"
They eat their bananas.

 

[michaellevenson]

Renwick begins what he believes is a bit of therapy with a patient, nothing unusual, or so he thinks.
R " tell me what are you doing living here for"
C " nay I can't tell you "
R " but you can tell me"
C " can thy keep a secret?"
R " of course my dear chap of course "
C " thou will tell no one?"
R " no no"
C " one day soon..( flapping arms)..I shall fly"
R " you mean..( flapping arms)...fly?!"
C " 'tis so"
R " erm....how long have you been living here?"
C " I will tell thee more"
R " why not my dear chap, why not"
C " I cannot go back to the past "
R " ah...and this worries you"
C " I am trapped "
R " no need to get upset, you feel trapped, I feel trapped"
Catweazle excitedly gets the wrong end of the stick.
C " THOU ALSO ARE TRAPPED?!"
Renwick is now looking a bit worried by this conversation with a possible madman.
C " did thou come through water "
R " er....yes...I will help you get back, now what is the first thing you remember "
C " the battle of Hastings "
R " oh yes Harold with the arrow in his eye"
C " nay it was grit in his eye, the arrow was in his back...I saw it"
R " erm....what else do you remember "
C " the dungeons "
R " dungeons?"
C " aye but I escaped"
R ( humouring) " excellent , a big step forward "
C " it was a jump...900 years. What does thou remember?"
R "I'm supposed to be helping you"
C " does thou know the signs "
Renwick nods , and ever so slightly backs away on the bench.
R (warily) "erm...I can recognize most of them"
C " I have 12, I will help thee"
R " but I don't need help "
C ( in awe) " thou has the 13th sign?"
R " of course my dear chap of course "
Catweazle grabs Renwick and pulls him over to his collection of zodiac signs in a circle on the floor.
C " you see I have 12, give me the 13th, then we will fly together "
R " fly?"
C" as the birds of the air fly. I will serve thee , truly thou art great "
Catweazle removes his witch knife from around his neck and waves it around.
C " Shempamparash, salmy dalmy adonay"
Renwick has heard enough and scarpers, running out the door.
C " come back master"

Another chase , this time in reverse, Catweazle on his tricycle is chasing Renwick back to King's Farthing. Mavis Gowdy stares out of the window.
MG " m' Lord, Doctor Renwick is back on Cedric's bike riding into the estate "
LC " what about Mr Groome "
MG " no m' Lord but there's a strange man chasing Doctor Renwick "
LyC " chasing him?"
MG " yes m' Lady and it's exactly like Groome said, brown robe and beard"

Renwick is now cornered at the waters edge by the moat. Catweazle approaches, Renwick fearful of him thinking him a lunatic.
R ( nervously) "I tell you I haven't got the 13th sign"
C " thou maggot, thou art as foolish as the Normans...then..(sadly).. truly I am trapped "

 

[michaellevenson]

Charles, Dotty and Cedric walk out of the front door and see Groome trudging up path to door, pushing bike , mud splattered face, covered in sweat.
LC " Groome what happened to you?"
G ( gasps)....mmm...my....Lord..."

Back at moat,
R " no please don't jump"
Catweazle is preparing to jump in again "
C " thou shall see"
Renwick is agitated as he believes he's going to witness a potential drowning.
R ( pleads) "please please be reasonable "
C " I am trapped in thy time, thou shall see"
Catweazle leaps in the water, bounces out and lands back on bank.
C " there, thou has seen that I am trapped "
Chales, Dotty, Cedric and Groome run towards Catweazle and Renwick, Catweazle gets on his tricycle and pedals away. Renwick stares open mouthed lower jaw down in astonishment as the others arrive.
LC " Doctor Renwick? Are you okay?"
R " he...er..jumped in..... bounced out... bone dry"


In Duck Halt, Catweazle and Cedric sit by a fire , both lost in thought staring at the flames hoping for something.
Cd " I've just got to find it"
C " indeed Owlface it must be found"
Cd " time is running out and school starts in a week"
C " nights grow colder, and I have the bone ache "
Cd " if only I knew where to look"
C " the 13th sign of the zodiac "
Cd " the lost treasure of the Collingfords "
C " I would fly"
Cd " I would save King's Farthing "
They both sigh deeply and in unison say,
C and Cd " mayhap....mayhap"

THE END

Next episode;

Catweazle Episode 26- THE THIRTEENTH SIGN (SCENE BY SCENE *FINAL EPISODE *)

Spoiler Alert This is the final episode of Catweazle where we find out what happens to poor old Catweazle. If you've enjoyed reading my threads on this show, and haven't seen it and plan to , perhaps you shouldn't read this final episode. If you are reading this, enjoy it. For the general...

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