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简介:HowmanymendoyouneedtostageacoupandtakeoveranAfricancountry?ToSimonMann,oldEtonian,ex-ScotsGuardsmanandex-SAS,itseemedsimpleenough.Firsttake70mercenariesfromSouthAfrica,pickuparmsinZimbabwe,bringapossiblepresidentoutofexileinSpainandflytoEquatorialGuineawhereabundantoilandgreatwealthawaits.Everyoneagreesthatthecurrentrulerisanastypieceofwork,andregimechangeisalltherage.Howcoulditgowrong?ThisTVdramacontainsstronglanguage. Writingcredits:JohnFortune Runtime:90min Color:Color WrittenbyleadingsatiristJohnFortune,Coup!isataleofaudacity,incompetenceandbetrayalstarringJaredHarrisandRobertBathurst.Itfollowsupper-classBritSimonMann(Harris)throughhisfailedattempttooverthrowtheEquatorialGuineagovernment. Thisone-offfilmisashocking-andsometimeshilarious-insightintothetruestoryofhowSimonMannfoundhimselfbetrayed,arrestedandconfinedtoanAfricanjailfollowinghisinvolvementinthe2004coup.ItchartsthefortunesofSimon,NickDuToit,andtheirhand-pickedcrewofmercenariesthroughthedisastrouseventswhichledtotheirdownfall. Coup!explainswhyMarkThatcher(Bathurst),sonoftheformerBritishPrimeMinisterMargaretThatcher,becameinvolvedandarrested. Itdealswithgreed,money,andhowcountriesrichinoilwillalwaysbecomethecentreoftheworld'sattention-whetherwantedornot.Itexposesthearroganceofwell-connectedoldEtonianslikeSimonMann,founderofmercenaryfirmExecutiveOutcomes. Whathappenedinthecoup? InMarch2004,Zimbabweanauthoritiesimpoundedaplanewith64mercenariesonboard.Afewdayslater,fifteenmoremercenaries,ledbySouthAfricanNickDuToitwerearrestedinEquatorialGuineaandchargedwithanattemptedcoup. AconfessionbyNickDuToit,laterretracted,accusedSimonMannofbeingtheleaderofaplottoremoveEquatorialGuinea'sPresidentObiangNguema,whohasruledthecountrysinceseizingpowerin1979.ExiledopponentSeveroMotowastoreplacehimasheadoftheoil-richcountry.Manndeniedinvolvement. AlettersentbyMannaskinghisfriendsforhelpmentionedMarkThatcher'sname,althoughSirMarkdeniedknowledgeofthecoup.Hedidlaterpleadguiltytofailingtoensurethatmoneyheinvestedwasn'tusedforsuchpurposes. Currently,Mannisservingafour-yearjailsentenceinZimbabwe,fortryingtoobtainweaponsillegally,andDuToita34yearterminEquatorialGuinea. MoreinformationfromBBCNews Q&AontheCoup EquatorialGuineaCountryProfile ThisdramaalsofocusesonthenewSouthAfrica,acountrythatcannotbeseentosupporttheoverthrowofafellowblackAfricanleader. AsExecutiveProducerJessPopesays: "Thisisthestoryofaplotofastonishingaudacity. "Asmallcoterieofwell-connected,white,middle-classEnglishmenwerearroganttobelievethattheycouldstorminandplundertherightstotheoilreservesofaminorAfricandictatorshipina'getrichquick'schemetoshoreuptheirownprivatepensions. "Whattheyhadn'treckonedonwasthecomingofageofthenew,anti-mercenarySouthAfrica." JohnFortune ThewriterofCoupisbestknownforhisworkonlong-runningsatiricalimpressionistshowBremner,BirdandFortune.He'sbeenwritingandperformingsincethe60s,withcreditsincludingYesMinister,MaybeBaby,CalendarGirls,LoveSoupandHaveIGotNewsForYou. Hislong-termcomedypartnerisJohnBird,butovertheyearshe'salsoworkedwithluminariessuchasPeterCookandtheMontyPythonteam. SeealistofJohn'screditsontheComedyGuide» RolyKeating,ControllerofBBCTWOadds: "TheattemptedcoupinEquatorialGuineaisaremarkablestorythatgrippedtheBritishpublicasitjustseemedtooincredibletobetrue! "JohnFortune'srazor-sharpwitexpertlydrawsouttheabsurdityofwhatwasaterriblyserioussituation.I'mkeentohavemorestronglyauthored,contemporarydramasonBBCTWO,andIthinkthiswillhitthemarkforthechannel'saudience." JohnsaysofhisscriptedportrayalofSimon'sfinaladventure: "ThepurposeofthefilmisnottovilifyorbeunsympathetictoSimon'ssituation.IhopeCoup!willbeseenasanabsurdandfunnyinsightintowhatmakesamanriskeverythingforonelastdangerousadventure:totryandoverthrowagovernment." Thecast AppearingalongsideJaredHarrisandRobertBathurstare: LucyCohuasAmandaMann TomMannionasStrick RupertVansittartasRoddyHamilton CarolineBlakistonasMrsThatcher IanRobertsasNickDuToit ShotinSouthAfrica,Coup!isdirectedbySimonCellanJones(SherlockHolmesandtheCaseoftheSilkStocking,TheQueen'sSister)andproducedbyJoWright(55DegreesNorth,Othello).TheExecutiveproducersareAlexHolmesandJessicaPope.…