This comedy centres on the Pendon Civic Society which, inspired by an idea from its chairman, Ray, initiates a fund-raising pageant based on the martyrdom of the ‘Pendon Twelve’, a group of 19th-century farm workers. When Eric, a leftist schoolteacher, decides to turn the festivities into a propaganda show, the organizing committee splits into two groups responsible for rehearsing the workers and the military. Eric handles the workers’ group adroitly but Ray’s gang have to bring in the neo-fascist Tim, who carries a real revolver and directs his group like General Franco. On the big day there is much disarray, but Ray has already hatched a plan for the next pageant: Romans battling Britons.