NIT
In this mock "News at Ten" scene (NIT) Benny reads the news as Reginald Boozingquet, and messes up the dialogue and image details, so when talking about the Queen the viewer sees Rita outside a slum dwelling. Rita chucks herself into an old pram and gets pushed down the street as she is supping on a bottle of alcohol, with a stack of old bags on top of her, while the viewer hears Benny saying "The Queen, seen here leaving Buckingham palace, looked refreshed after her recent holiday. She was helped into the royal coach by Prince Phillip, as he accompanied her on their journey down the mall. Thousands of well wishers, many of them tourists wished her God Speed."
THE GREAT PRETENDER
.Rita pops up at the beginning of this next sketch. Set in Medieval times, Benny plays the King who is going to get married. He arrives in the castle shouting "Mother Angel. Mother my darling. Mother my treasure". Then to audience "I'll thump that old crow in a moment" and shouts "MOTHER!" we hear Rita reply (off screen) "I'm in ere dear" Benny shouts back "Your not on the thrown again?"and Rita replies "No dear I ain't" Benny (who looks like he's gonna crack up laughing) quips "You're not allowed to, I'm the only one allowed to use that thrown, cos I'm the king that's cos why." he continues "Now Mother, have you sent out the invitations to my wedding?" Rita appears and the audience applause, she sashays across the floor dressed in her royal fineries (complete with medieval head gear) she tells Benny "Yes dear I have, and why wasn't the duchess of Gladly on the list?" Benny makes much banter about her making strange noises and everybody thinking it was him, Rita remarks "Well she couldn't help it" then asks Benny "What's that yer got there?" Benny like a child stomps about an sighs ""It's a French book Mother, I'm learning to parlee vous François" Rita enquires "Whatever for?" Benny replies "Oh sacred Bloom Mother" and begins to tell her what he will get up to on his wedding night. Finally he sends her down to the Kitchen to speak to the chef. Rita turns away from the camera and glides across the room opening the cellar door and disappears from view.
22nd December 1971