The Thieving Headmistress (TV 2006)

A Headmistress steals from her own school.

Director:

Norman Hull

Writers:

Lucy Bowden, Norman Hull,

Stars:

Pauline Quirke, Denis Lawson, Peter Cellier

Cast

Cast overview:
Pauline Quirke	...	Colleen McCabe
Denis Lawson	...	Father Plunkett
Peter Cellier	...	Father O'Malley
Mary Roscoe	...	Maureen Stapley
Naomi Allisstone	...	Pam
Stephen Critchlow	...	Detective Elliott
Richard Hope	...	Auditor Andy Pert
David Holt	...	Mr. Huckerby
Hannah Walters	...	Ms Wallis
Emily Key	...	Young Colleen
Jessica Elliott	...	Shop girl
John Walters	...	Priest
Bruce Barnden	...	Lawyer
David Barnaby	...	Judge

Storyline

As a young girl Colleen McCabe asks a priest in confessional "What is sin?" Thirty years later she is found out for practising it. An ex-nun,she leaves the convent because she becomes disillusioned with spiritual matters and goes into teaching, being appointed headmistress of the John Rigby School in London. Along with a small coterie of chosen staff members to act as her spies,she misappropriates half a million pounds from school funds which she spends on luxury goods and a trip on the Orient Express. Meanwhile the school suffers,having to use ancient text books and pupils as cleaners. She is tried,although admitted to hospital for depression on the trial day, and sentenced to five years in jail, later reduced to four. The film alternates dramatized scenes of Colleen's misbehaviour with interviews with those who knew her.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 June 2006 (UK)

Box Office

Budget:

£245,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Firefly Film and Television Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

User Reviews

Cracking fun based on fact

This programme is based on the actions of ex Nun Headmistress Colleen McCabe. McCabe syphoned off approximately £258,000 from the school she was running-and left the school and pupils in a sorry state. In addition to the dramatised scenes, this programme features comments from the staff and pupils at the school. This programme, a total classic needs to be released on DVD. Pauline Quirk, who I thought was OK in Birds of A Feather, is brilliant in this role. There are some really laugh out loud scenes in the programme, coupled with some more subtle bits. All the actors give great performances. Actor Geoffrey Palmer contributes a highly amusing narration that just adds the cherry to the top of this cake. The final scenes involving the expensive jewellery and the rosary beads cracks me up. Don't be put off by comments about this show being lack lustre, it's well worth seeing and very, very tongue in cheek.