Arthur of the Britons

This call sheet was kindly donated to this archive by Peter Thornton, who was employed as Clapper/Loader – a role now known as 2nd Camera Assistant – for much of the series. The episode concerned is “The Slaves.”



“The Slaves” was episode ‘F’ - the sixth episode to be filmed.

The call sheet is No.30, and is dated 2nd August 1972, which was a Wednesday, so this would have been the third day of filming.

The scenes scheduled for this date were to be filmed on location at Cheddar.

Jack Watson (Llud), Deborah Watling (Thuna), Adrian Cairns (Heardred) and Jackie Cooper (Ensel) were required in Make-up/Wardrobe at 07:30, to begin filming at 08:30, so at 6:30, a car collected Deborah Watling from the Unicorn Hotel ¹, where guest stars were commonly billeted. Jack, Adrian and Jackie must have made their own arrangements.

They were to shoot scenes 50, 51 and 52. These must have been the scenes where Ensel, the genuine new supervisor sent by Cerdig, arrives at the site; Thuna tells Heardred she never trusted Kai, calls Llud over, and subtly warns him of the danger. She then distracts Ensel. Heardred takes the opportunity to complain to Ensel about the difficulties of his task.

At 06:45, Oliver Tobias (Arthur) was picked up from Ben Ford’s stables in Stroud, and at 07:15, a car collected David Prowse (Col) and Anthony Bailey (Rodolf) from the Unicorn Hotel. Michael Gothard (Kai) was also required, and all were to be in Make-up/Wardrobe at 08:15, to be ready to film at 09:15, along with the actors already on set.

A crowd of 45 was required, to represent Saxon guards and Celtic slaves. Some of these were collected from the HTV studios in the Z Car Bus, at 06:30.

The scenes to be filmed from 09:15 were 23, 26, 27, 31, 33, 35, 36, 38, 44, 45, 46 and 49. These probably included the scene where Arthur is taken up to the rock-face and chained up, most of the shots of the slaves working the quarry, the scene where Col collapses and Arthur defends him from Rodolf, then attacks Rodolf, forcing Kai to take charge of Arthur’s punishment, and possibly the scenes where Arthur is dragged away from the punishment site, and Kai gets everyone back to work.

Props required are the tools needed by the slaves, a horn – to be blown to signal meal times – and a theodolite - one of the tools of Heardred’s trade.

The weapons needed for the rebellion are not listed among the props, and neither is there any mention of “practical food”, or “bowls of wet cotton wool” (the slaves’ “food”) so neither the scenes in the small arsenal, the big fight at the end, nor any of the scenes where the slaves or their masters are eating lunch, were filmed on this date.

Breakfast, lunch and afternoon break for the cast and crew – about 110 people - was laid on, by George Cook (or Cooke) on location.

¹ Possibly The Unicorn Hotel, West Street, Somerton TA11 7PR England – this would have been about an hour away by car.