Coaching Castro

Synopsis:

It is late 1958, high in the mountains of Cuba, where there is about to take place one of the truly extraordinary encounters of the twentieth century.

The Cuban revolution is in full swing, and Fidel Castro – hiding in the mountains with his rebel forces – is preparing to march on Santiago and seize power.

Suddenly, unannounced, into the midst of this highly charged setting, strides one of the world’s great adventurers:  None other than Errol Flynn.

Always one for a good rumble, Flynn – a frustrated writer – is there in his capacity as a self-appointed war correspondent.

Castro, a somewhat stilted and uninspired public speaker, sees in Flynn not only a great propagandist for the Cuban cause but, also, a potential oratory coach.

Before long, Flynn – together with his 15-year-old companion, Dhondi – are making a documentary about the revolution.

Ordinarily, Flynn – a rich, drunk, dissolute actor – is precisely the kind of man of which Castro’s revolution is striving to rid Cuba.

And yet, these two iconic individuals – standing, as they are, at opposite ends of their respective careers – are, in ways that are as unnerving as they are numerous, astonishingly alike.

Through a complex and fascinating piece that splices together newsreel footage, film and elements of music theatre – drawing heavily on Cuba’s great musical tradition – the playwright, in exploring the intriguing relationships between these two men – and their women – has created a vibrant, evocative and challenging insight into the true nature of freedom, power, revolution and the passage of time.

Character Breakdown:

Cast of six – two females, four males.

FIDEL CASTRO  32

FIDEL CASTRO  81

ERROL FLYNN  49

MARITA  19  FIDEL’S lover

DHONDI  15  FLYNN’S lover (Beverly Aadland)

HIERONYMUS GRIST  46  FBI agent

Setting

Late December 1958 – February 1959, mid-1959 (scenes with GRIST interrogating FLYNN) and February 2008.

Running-time: 120 minutes.

Production History: Not yet produced.

Excerpt available for download for free.