The Devil's Disciple

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Product Description ------------------- Devil's Disciple, The (Shaw Collection, The) (DVD) In New Hampshire in 1777, Dick Dudgeon's her dies. Called back home to the unhappy family he revolted against years ago, Dick finds he has been named heir, much to the horror of his religious mother (Elizabeth Spriggs). And to complicate matters, the British, led by General Burgoyne (Ian Richardson), have arrived and are readying for an execution. As events reach a crisis, Dick, the self-procled "Devil's Disciple," finds he must confront his true nature, as must the village minister (Patrick Stewart). ]]> .com ---- The Devil's Disciple is not generally considered one of George Bernard Shaw's best plays, but it may be among his most enjoyable. In a New England village during the Revolutionary War, disreputable and self-procled Devil's disciple Richard Dudgeon (Mike Gwilym) finds himself inheriting the bulk of his her's estate, much to the fury of his estranged mother (Elizabeth Spriggs, Sense and Sensibility). But when British soldiers mistake Dudgeon for the Reverend Anthony Anderson (Patrick Stewart, Star Trek: The Next Generation) and arrest him as a rebel, Dudgeon goes along with the error and consents to be hanged in Anderson's place--forcing Anderson's wife Judith (Susan Woolridge, Hope and Glory) to decide whether to save a man she loathes at the cost of her husband's life. The Devil's Disciple starts slowly, but the tension s steadily, as does the humor. The courtroom debate between Dudgeon and the cynical General Burgoyne (Ian Richardson, Gormenghast) is rife with Shaw's typical wit and paradoxes--but the rise of feeling between Dudgeon and Judith give the production an emotional kick many Shaw plays lack. The DVD also includes a BBC special, in which Christopher Plummer and others recite classic passages from Shaw's plays and letters. --Bret Fetzer