Miranda Richardson (Parade’s End) and Anna Chancellor (Spooks) star as notorious small-town social rivals Miss Elizabeth Mapp and Mrs Emmeline ‘Lucia’ Lucas in Steve Pemberton’s adaptation of EF Benson’s comic drama Mapp and Lucia.
Set in the summer of 1930, the three-part series also stars Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) as Raj Army veteran Major Benjy, alongside writer Steve Pemberton (Inside No 9) as Lucia’s devoted acolyte and dapper chief courtier, Georgie Pillson.
> Order Mapp and Lucia on DVD on Amazon.
Episode 1
Monday 29 December 2014, 9.05pm
It is mid-summer in Tilling and Miss Elizabeth Mapp (Miranda Richardson), the town’s resident schemer and woman of great self-importance, is anticipating a special guest.
As per accepted tradition in Tilling, Mapp is leasing her beautiful Queen Anne House to Mrs Emmeline Lucas – known to her friends as Lucia (Anna Chancellor) – for the summer months. Mapp is only too keen to proudly boast about her new tenant and the town residents are suitably enamoured by the apparently cultured newcomer.
However, on this occasion Mapp’s bitten off far more than she can chew. Lucia is the resident Queen of her home town; vain, selfish, imperious and, in short, a glorious snob. Now recently widowed, she sees Tilling as the perfect opportunity to end her grieving and reintegrate herself into society once more, all the while ably assisted by her devoted best friend, Georgie Pillson (Steve Pemberton).
Whilst Mapp hopes to ‘run’ Lucia and mete her out to her fellow Tillingites, Lucia is completely her own woman and will retaliate by charming and bullying her way into their lives. Mapp’s position at the heart of Tilling’s social circle is under threat, not only has she been forced to downgrade to best friend Diva’s (Felicity Montagu) substantially smaller cottage but now she seems to be losing control of the masses.
The residents of Tilling can only watch as Mapp faces off against Lucia in an ever spiralling warfare that spans garden produce, bridge and a fund-raising fete. Tilling cannot possibly contain these two women, let battle commence and the worst woman win!
Episode 2
Tuesday 30 December 2014, 9pm
Mapp (Miranda Richardson) is still reeling from Lucia’s (Anna Chancellor) victory at the summer fete and is left to watch disconsolately as the town residents flock to Lucia’s little dinner parties across the street. Meanwhile all of Tilling are hard at work on their entries for the Summer Art Exhibition, one of the highlights of the Tilling social calendar.
When Lucia and Georgie (Steve Pemberton) lay out their intentions to submit their sketches Mapp snaps and begins an underhand counteroffensive to keep them out. It’s a clever move but subterfuge rarely lies hidden for long in a place like Tilling. Lucia can see Mapp’s little game and is more than happy to play her at it.
Faced with a very public shaming Mapp is forced to back down. She returns to Wasters emotionally bruised, an outsider in her own town with nothing but marrow jam for company. That is until she receives a totally unexpected and rather exotic guest whose introduction to Tilling may be just enough to put Mapp back on top. Whether she likes it or not Lucia’s got a full scale war on her hands, she’ll have to sink to Mapp’s level if she wants to keep her crown.
Meanwhile Georgie receives a mysterious delivery of luggage, golf clubs and a rather gruff and troublesome dog. Something’s afoot and there’s many a raised eyebrow as he takes a rather startling new interest in golf.
Episode 3
Wednesday 31 December 2014, 9pm
Lucia (Anna Chancellor) decides to take Tilling’s cultural welfare in hand and begins a regular series of musical evenings – ‘un po di musica’ as she calls it. Lucia’s apparent culture still has the Tillingites flocking to her banner but the odd yawn and tiny moan suggests some may be starting to tire of her high-handedness. Mapp (Miranda Richardson) watches with interest, keen to encourage a revolt. She’s convinced that Lucia is a fraud since learning that she traced her sketch for the art exhibition and is determined to prove it.
Mapp begins her campaign by suggesting Diva (Felicity Montagu) and Evie (Poppy Miller) skip Lucia’s next ‘po di mu’ but when she discovers that Mr Wyse’s sister, the Contessa de Faraglione (Frances Barber), is about to visit it presents an even more delicious revenge.
Such a fluent speaker of la bella lingua will, of course, show up completely Lucia and Georgie’s (Steve Pemberton) shaky, ill learnt conversational Italian. Lucia’s in a fix and it will take all her ingenuity and patience to keep Mapp at bay. The summer is nearly at an end and it’s no longer who’ll win the battle but rather who will win the war!
Meanwhile, Miss Mapp and Diva are engaged in their own skirmish, this time over the season’s latest fashions. Georgie is inconsolable on learning that Foljambe (Jenny Platt) has made plans and the rest of Tilling is trying ever so hard to quell their excitement as news arrives that the Prince of Wales is to pass through the station.
As Lucia proclaims, it is not the done thing to notice royalty, but can the Tillingites really bear not to witness their town’s big moment?
> Order Mapp and Lucia on DVD on Amazon.
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