BBC world theater; 72; Ironhand (Reel 1)

The National Educational Radio Network presents the BBC World Theatre. We present Iron Hand by John Arden, adapted from Götter's Götz von Belichingen, with music by Steve Reiss, Iron Hand. Germany, Germany in 1525, a feudal land not yet united, a multitude of principalities,

and within these the castles of the free knights, who jealously guarded their traditional right to keep private armies, to levy taxis on the peasants of their estates, and to engage in feuds. Now new forces threaten these traditions, from above new ideas of law and order, and unified government by the emperor in distant Vienna, and from below the discontent that led to the peasants' revolt. This is the story of two of those knights who went different ways. The devils keeping them, they ought to find them on now, they ought to be here, find days

and nights of it, looking about in owls in no sleep, oatmeal, russens riding in my room. Where are those incompetent scubs? I said I must have used my sunset, if they leave it any later, or they'll come to tell me that Weislingen's back in Bumberg, and they've lost to me at the game. No sleep, no, no, no, no, walk up and down, and so we keep awake, brow, white skin's empty. Goal, goal, you keep this fool and you keep awake. I've been seeing Germany can drive my own it down, I stand up awake, and I stand by the right of my torch.

Goal! Oh no, bishops, no, goal, goal man, here, yes sir, ready? Where have you been boy, sleeping? Wait, wait, wait a minute. Here, horses, no sir. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, why aren't they here? Well, you tell Joe, honey, you can start getting our own horses ready, and those let's do come, we shouldn't have any time to lose. The horses are ready, are they by God's feet? Did that do you? Yes sir, I've just looked after it. It's so bad, lad, you're improving. When can I ride, if I do a squire's work, I can fight a squire's battle. Oh, you have courage. You taught me. John told me a story of you when your hand was amputated after the battle of Lancet. He said, you turned your face to the wall and would speak to nobody, until one day a night came in who lost his hand also, and yet fought with a sword for a generation afterwards.

So you seized hold of your courage, and your courage brought back liberty, and God could take 12 hands from you and still you would fight. Let me ride tonight. Not? No, no, no. Of course I can't. No, it's. Fart and trickle tonight. Look, do you not understand, boy? I'm out to catch my slinger, the bishops general. Hey, wait, wait, do you hear something? It's at the gallop. It's Peter and Mike. Oh, we're looking, can we found him? Can we catch him? We can. Yeah, five miles out of Schwarzenberg with only four riders as a squirt. Johan, are you ready? Johan! I sling. I sling. I sling. Where I am. I feel that with men like yourself, we can at last sit to work, utterly and finally,

we eradicate the inconsequential and traditionalising energy that has flattened itself as centuries through the name of common law. And today, the doctorate sticks there in books, entirely books, any sort of comprehensive administration throughout our principality. My lord Bishop, you say it truly, the German common law is an overgrown, outgrown month. Right? Every time, every village has its own ridiculous list of precedent. They've regraggled one-and-a-half ounce highwayman with a jacket of grease in leather and

three unshaven horse troopers to gallop it his ass, and they've been the rabbit hole on top of the rocker and call himself a free knight of the empire, O evil regions to no one but himself. Somebody, I think somebody, feels his memory is scratched by Berlechingen. Hmm, if you like, why not, my dear Liebertrod? The windvice Lincoln comes home, I hope it'll be an end to that age. But there are others, you know. The one with the wooden leg, what do they call him? Self, it's, it's, it's, then they're sicking, now, now he's a dangerous man, and many others, many of them, I forget the moment, but they're protected, these brothers, Dr. Williams, he will prepare a draft, the whole legal framework needs to be changed, needs to be changed quickly, I've already made some beginning in Bamberg, please God be for progress.

Please God, we shall know that we have to be careful, do we not? I am not entirely with you. You see, you drive one set of lawyers out, and you replace them with another. What happens in between? Yeah, there is a period of transition, of course. Exactly. Your period of transition is a period of no law at all. It's good black puddings and the gulf of looted wine for Ironhand Berlechingen and all his bully boys, or else. What's that? Who is it? It's one advice I think of as men, my lord, he's just written into the court chart. Well, I'll go and meet him, leave a try, dear boy, bring him up there. Yes, of course, my lord. He'll have been sent on a head to carry the dispatches. Gentlemen, our good fortune, attuned to our sell. I'll ask him a test of looted wine. Hi. Well, leave a try, well, where's the rider? He's wounded.

Collapsed, my lord, Bishop. What? He's the only one left. Ironhand has ambushed them. Vice-lingon, sub-prisoner. Oh, you're some peat on the nose. Yes, my lord. I'm sorry. Oh, dear. I'm very sorry. Well, here we are, bring him in, Lance. I know that one, Vice-lingon, welcome once more to Yacht Stouzen. It had been a good many years since last we had the pleasure, I think. If you care to shift your harness, we'll leave it in the garden. We'll go up to the hall together, at our ease.

As my wife, no, we're back. You'll run on in to tell us. Good, that's his job. I'll help him to a buckle piece over here. All right, sir. Where are your clothes? We did bring his bags, didn't we? Yes, yes. Go and find his riders and make sure they unpack for him. See, there's nothing missing. And if there is, we'll make it good. Yes, sir. It is not of important. Oh, yes, it is, no. No. Have a drink, can you? Have a deep cheerful. It's enough. Hey, boys. Oh, it's a long, long time. My friends, since we last sent side by side and trained a flag in the garden together. Butting, God's name possessed you to sell yourself to the princes. I have sold myself to nobody. And I see no advantage in sentimental reminiscence. Those times are finished and done, Gertz. They belong to a different age.

Do they, I hope not? Because if they do, the pleasure and strength of life is falling from us all. Oh, thank you. You remember when we lived as pages at the corner of my grave? Oh, God's feet, Edelbert. They call us custom and pox, the inseparable pugilist. Comradeship and brotherhood, that was our life. Do you never think of it even now returning to Edelbert? No, no, no. Don't try and pretend it doesn't attract you. I know you better than that. Of course it attracts me. Freedom from responsibility. Living in your own castle, owing no allegiance. Except directly to the Emperor. I am the Emperor's man, and I never forget it. And he lives at a convenient distance, does he know? You have grown very sardonic, Edelbert. It grieves me, I can tell you. And if it would not have happened that you'd done what I asked and come with me that time on expedition to broadband,

but no all the time you were lusting with the courts of the princes, even as a boy. The ridiculous gossiping monkeys singing their sly songs on the back stairs of the palace. The adulterous, sophisticated wives, bad places out of birth. And I'm afraid that you are corrupted. I don't know about that, but I certainly shall be if I listen to you any longer. Look, look. We have a league of noble friends in this country, independent gentlemen, understanding their right. Hanson Silbitz, Franz von Sickening, and the finest names of the empire. And we ride proud for liberty. What have we to do with selfish malicious priests? Oh, for heaven's sake. You claim, I believe, to be the protector of the poor? All I say is this. God help the peasant, who sees the free nights and the horse troopers trampling down his corn, burning his barns. I do not burn barns, vice-lingon. The men that I plunder of the gross merchant oppresses from the vampire cities that squat upon our fields

and our vineyards destroying our life. Gertz, you are still a rude little page boy, pugilist, getting under the feet of clever men than yourself. I think it is time you thought, rather carefully, about your position. But, gee, my position, by God, what about yours? Yes, I have considered it. I am still your prisoner. What, your wife? Your wife. Er, er, er, my dear is Elizabeth. We are returned. So I observe. I heard your bugles, you came. I said to myself, here he is victorious. What shall he have for dinner? So the butcher is set to slaughtering three lambs, the cooks to boiling turnips and stirring the sauce and what did the master do? He sits in the guardhouse and soaks himself with wine. Give me some. Well, you see, my love, we became involved in something like an argument. Do I need to introduce this gentleman? No, I can see him. And the way he hangs together,

the great Lord, visaling on his ear, to his treachery and persecutions we have so long been indebted. Gracious lady, forgive me. I had not realized how deeply my corruption had ingrained itself in my features. God knows, I hold no personal quarrel with you or your family. We are, after all, gentlemen of the one class. And the better side of civilization will be common to us both. Embrace him, Elizabeth. He is my old friend and my guest. And as soon as we can negotiate an exchange, he will send him back to his bishop, and our brave young man in Bamberg and come home to us. I think it should turn out very happily for us all. Madam. Well, he has his manners. I can't gain say those. And when all is said and done, perhaps the bishop's malpractices have not completely contorted the lines of his body. The best leg in Germany, madam, or it would be if it didn't happen to be concealed in these unduly practical boots. We'll give you some slippers directly, and then you can show us.

Come on, come on, come on up to the hall. You must be anxious to meet our household and my little sister Maria. You'll be with us sometimes, though. Enjoy it, man. Liv's totally a world is turning backwards at last. THE END OF THE STORM Maria? Ah, company at last. If a sister is company, surely. If only if one did better. Here is some mild wine. I don't know. I don't know.

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We have a very difficult task. The emperor has expressly forbidden us to kill either cell bits or bellishing, but to take such men alive, well, we must be cautious. I have begun by sending a letter to bellishing and to order him to surrender. If he refuses, as he certainly will, I shall prepare to lay siege to the castle of Yaxxthausen. Sir.

Yes, Gail. There's a man outside the garden along to see you. He wouldn't tell me his name, but he's clearly a soldier. A right strong setman with fiery dark eyes. I don't bring him in, boy. Yes, sir. This way, sir. I don't know you. Probably not bellishing in. I know you all right. What do you want? I brought you a present. A present? Me. Don't be so surprised. I'm told you're wanting men. Well, but, God said, I am. When I confess, I see nothing very attractive in the work I have to offer. This is about to become a beleaguered castle, and everybody in it is under the emperor's ban.

Be very clear in your mind what you are joining. I know all about it. I make my choice of service for the sight of men and not the fortunes. What do they call you? Letter. Fritz. Letter. That would be easy. And your experience, Lesser? Do you remember when the palatine asked you to bring in Conrad Shulton a few years ago? Of course I do. Well. Small village on the Hasfoot Road, half a hundred horsemen lying in wait. You rode into the middle with no more than sixteen. That's right, we did. And they all ran away from us except two. One of them was air-hard chucks. Yeah, it's a grand fight, but a fool of a captain. I put a bullet through his eye, boy. And what about the other? Bye! Oh! You! Ha-ha! Yes, I'm me. Lesser. Car speed, yes. Look here. Look. It scars yours. Took six weeks to heal. And I can tell you I'm damn glad to have you come and join us.

What length of engagement? One year. And sing it on the run that present. I'll set you without pay and take it out and plunder. That agreeable. Certainly not, but ever my circumstances I always pay my men. Besides, I don't have very much of this going to be any plunder. Anymore, for any of us. No. Passion of arms is a sinking trade these days it seems. Sir, what is it? Belly Kingon. My master hands oneself it sends you his greetings. Ah-ha! He'll be here with fifty men first thing in the morning. Good! Thank God! Thank God at least it's left off raining for a while. At the sun, get up a quarter of an hour over these damn tree tops. And we'll see where we've got to. We're getting a clearer picture now of what's happened.

Belly Kingon and Cellbits have combined their forces in the night, sir. And they've surrounded the advanced party, broke it up, and they're coming on through the forest towards the rest of us. What's the ground like up there? On the Heath. It's wet, but it's not too wet. It's possible to ride. Go ahead. So, to your commands, gentlemen.