THE STRAW WOMAN
First Broadcast: 29th February 29, 2004
Barnaby and Scott investigate the death of a curate who was burnt alive in a straw woman which was set alight to banish evil spirits.
| Barnaby
and Scott enter the world of witchcraft when a pagan festival in
Midsomer Parva goes too far. A straw woman has been made, all the idea
of school teacher Liz Francis, and is going to be lit on a bonfire to
banish the evil spirits in the village. Before the straw even burns
down, screams come from inside the effigy of the woman and there is a
man trapped inside - the curate of the church. The action is all watched by the inhabitants of Parva Manor - a past temple turned to a brothel. They are evidently the enemies of the other villagers. Alan Clifford owns the manor - but he has the unfortunate illness of cancer, which he refuses to get rid of with chemotherapy. Instead, he has two nurses which are trying to make death bearable when it comes. They are Agnes Waterhouse, and Kate Malpas. Alan's daughter, Jo, is opposed to his treatment and objects to him not having treatment. |
| Barnaby and Scott talk to the villagers, but unfortunately none of them can help. Apparently the curate is Alex Dakin, who was not happy about the plans of the bonfire. His gay lover, Reverend Jim Hale, is also terrified and shaky. He storms into Parva Manor but is taken away by security. |
| Liz
Francis the, school teacher, starts getting complaints and many of the
children's' parents call her a witch; it was her idea to burn the straw
woman after all. Scott also takes an immediate liking to her, however. That evening, when Reverend Hale goes to church at night to pray, his robes break out into flames and he dies in front of the altar where a severed pig's head has been left sitting. He is burnt to smithereens and the only identification for him being the vicar that Barnaby and Scott have the next morning the cross on his chain. Bullard's theory is that there is a Satanist on the loose - Barnaby knows that people are getting the wrong idea. Or is witchcraft power truly at work?
|
|
DCI
Tom Barnaby |
John
Nettles |
|
DS
Daniel Scott |
John
Hopkins |
|
Joyce
Barnaby |
Jane
Wymark |
|
Cully
Barnaby |
Laura
Howard |
|
Dr.
George Bullard |
Barry
Jackson |
|
Alan
Clifford |
Keith
Barron |
|
Jo
Clifford |
Jemma
Rooper |
|
Agnes
Waterhouse |
Maggie
O’Neill |
|
Kate
Malpas |
Kelly
Hunter |
|
Liz
Francis |
Susannah
Wise |
|
Margaret
Hopkins |
Richenda
Carey |
|
Dr.
John Cole |
Richard
Cordery |
|
Matthew
Cole |
Daniel
Wayman |
|
Reverend
Jim Hale |
Jonathan
Hackett |
|
Denise
Jenkins |
Sarah
Ball |
|
Jed
Fox |
Martin
Herdman |
|
WPC
Julie |
Alex
Belcourt |
|
Sally
Middleton |
Caroline
Lintott |
|
Lucy
Middleton |
Madeleine
Rakic-Platt |
|
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|
Screenplay |
Jeff
Dodds |
|
Director |
Sarah
Hellings |
|
Producer |
Brian
True-May |