The Norman Conquests: Round and Round the Garden (1977)

Annie has second thoughts about spending the weekend with brother-in-law Norman as the dysfunctional family tries to come to terms with itself.

Director:

Herbert Wise

Writer:

Alan Ayckbourn

Stars:

Richard Briers, Penelope Keith, Tom Conti

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Richard Briers	...	Reg
Penelope Keith	...	Sarah
Tom Conti	...	Norman
David Troughton	...	Tom
Fiona Walker	...	Ruth
Penelope Wilton	...	Annie

Storyline

In Annie's garden on a weekend she is supposed to go off for a secret tryst with her brother-in-law, Norman. Annie's gotten tired of waiting for dim veterinarian neighbor, Tom, to sweep her off her feet. Her brother Reg and wife Sarah arrive to care for Annie and Reg's mum, so Annie can leave. Norman shows up, hiding in the bushes, and before he can signal Annie, he's spotted and has to pretend he's come to visit. Tom pops round for food, and Norman's wife, the cool and tough Ruth, comes to visit mum. In the garden, Norman tries to spirit Annie away, Reg and Tom speculate on who Norman's got as his "bit on the side," and Ruth sunbathes. Will peace ever return to the garden?

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Plot Keywords:

garden | brother in law | weekend | veterinarian | family relationships | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 June 1978 (USA)

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Thames Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Penelope Keith is the only member of the original stage production to recreate her role in the TV version.

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Quotes

Sarah: The point is that I seem to be the only one in this family capable of making any sort of decision at all. I mean, whether or not I like it, I seem to be the head of this family at the moment. By rights it ought to be Reg. But if you've lived with Reg, you know he can't even pay a gas bill.

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Connections

Follows The Norman Conquests: Living Together (1977)

User Reviews

A rare gem

Now and then, a film comes along that you can watch over and over again for years to come. The "Norman Conquests" trilogy of plays is still as entertaining today as when I first saw it.

The events of the same weekend are told three times, each play is set in a different room of the same country house.

This one, "Round and Round the Garden", is the best(but all three are collectibles!).

The interaction between the characters represents a compelling script, and first-rate performances by all six cast members.

Whilst complications that develop between the characters are mainly due to Norman(Tom Conti), the scene between Ruth(Fiona Walker) and Tom(David Troughton)is truly a masterpiece...one of the funniest I've ever seen!!

Make a note to set the VCR when next this film appears...