Grudge, The - Comedy Drama

1 x 45 mins

This play takes as its theme real events in 1812 & 1997, giving the latter a bit of re-imagination.

Spencer Perceval was the only British Prime Minister to have bee assassinated, being shot dead in the lobby of the House of Commons by John Bellingham, a failed merchant who had been imprisoned in Russia and blamed the British government for his plight. Bellingham was probably insane, but was hung a few weeks later.

Fast forward to 1997 and Henry Bellingham, a descendant of John Bellingham, is the MP for a safe Conservative seat in Norfolk. Opposing him is a local publican Roger Percival - despite the spelling, he claims to be a descendant of the murdered Prime Minister - standing for the fringe (and now defunct) Referendum Party. Partly due to the Referendum Party, Bellingham lost his seat, winning it back in 2001, but this play imagines a feud developing between the two men. Silly, but fun.