Last episode: A Touch of the Orient
The North Hampstead Operatic Society are putting on a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado, with Hugo acting as director and Jacqui and Susan lined up for the roles of Yum-Yum and Pitti-Sing. Dudley attends the auditions at Stanley Barlow's bookshop in the hope of securing the lead, but has to make do with painting the scenery and playing the part of the third coolie in the chorus. Honourable secretary Stanley takes the role of the Mikado for himself. Meanwhile, Duncan is producing Oklahoma! for a rival society; his leading lady walks out on him, so he offers the role to Susan, who eagerly accepts. He heads off for London Airport to meet a Mr. San Pueblo from Tijuana, Mexico. Jacqui is disgusted when she learns her sister is planning to drop out of The Mikado, chastising Susan for her disloyalty. Dudley telephones Duncan's office to complain about his underhand behaviour, and Wilma takes the number of the church hall so that she can arrange for Duncan to ring him back when he returns. Dudley thinks he has the answer: Susan and Jacqui can exchange parts. This delights Susan, who agrees to stay, but Jacqui is distinctly piqued, feeling that Pitti-Sing isn't as good a role. Duncan arrives back at his office, having missed Mr. Pueblo at the airport; Wilma informs him that the gentleman telephoned, suggesting that they both join up for dinner that evening - and that she should come along too. Duncan asks Wilma for the telephone number of The Flying Dragon Chinese restaurant. She has jotted it down among a pile of others, so he takes a stab at it; the number he dials is that of the church hall, where the receiver is picked up by Dudley. He decides to teach Duncan a lesson, and assuming a Chinese accent pretends to reserve a table for three at about 8.30 p.m. Having lost her bid to retain the part of Yum-Yum, Jacqui retaliates by telephoning Duncan and offering to replace Susan as the leading lady in Oklahoma!; Duncan thinks this is a marvelous idea, but she asks him not to say anything about it for the time being: "I want to break it to them gently". Out of spite, Dudley switches the labels on his and Stanley's costumes, causing the latter to go home in a huff; Susan predicts that he'll be back - he's walked out twice already! Mr Pueblo calls Duncan's office to say he is going to be half an hour late, and the latter telephones the 'restaurant' to tell them to hold the table; when Hugo answers, Duncan realizes he has been duped and heads off to the church hall to kill Dudley, instructing Wilma to book them into another restaurant. Dudley and Duncan fight it out with prop Samurai swords, Dudley getting the upper hand just as Wilma calls to say she's tried every restaurant she can think of and they are all booked out. Duncan angrily reveals that Mr. Pueblo was going to buy Barney the Bionic Bulldog for the whole of Latin America; now it looks as if the deals' been blown - and its all Dudley's fault! Dudley suggests transforming the church hall into a mock Japanese restaurant; an idea so preposterous it just might work...
Aired: Wednesday October 19, 1983

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Glyn Houston - Duncan Thomas Sabina Franklyn - Jacqui Rush (series 3-5) Robert Gillespie - Dudley Rush Stacy Dorning - Susan Rush Jenny Quayle - Jacqui Rush (series 1-2) Pauline Yates - Muriel Rush (series 1-4) Anita Graham - Wilma (series 5)