Benjamin Whitrow

Brimstone and Treacle centres around the heavily troubled Bates family. The marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Bates is rocky, and both are suffering under the strain of caring for their mute, handicapped daughter Pattie. When Martin, a mysterious stranger arrives, they welcome him as a surrogate member of the family, especially pleased by his eagerness to help care for Pattie. Martin, however, is not all he appears to be. Potter uses the archetypal scenario of the supernatural visitor to explore the ambiguities of good and evil, as some of Martin's demonic acts have unexpectedly positive effects.

John Cleese, at his harried best in this hilarious British comedy, plays a school headmaster obsessed with punctuality. His best laid plans to attend a headmasters' conference go wrong when he boards the wrong train. He turns back to find alternative means of transport, hijacking one of his pupils who is taking the afternoon off school in her father's car. As the journey descends into further chaos, the head begins to lose his schoolmasterly poise.