Wagner must reconcile with the King of Bavaria and eventually does so. Their friendship grows even stronger while Ludwig's minsters are becoming increasingly suspicious of Wagner and his ever-increasing demands for money. Meanwhile, the premiere of Tristan und Isolde has to be postponed when the lead actress falls ill but finally happens a few months later. Ludwig leaves the premiere before the end to travel into the night on board the royal train. When Bavaria faces external challenges and Wagner's lifestyle becomes too extravagant for the Bavarian people, Ludwig is ...

• Charles Wood

• Laurence Olivier
• Vanessa Redgrave
• Miguel Herz-Kestranek