A bassist shows up early for the betrothal ball of a beautiful princess, and whiles away the time having a dip in the river. The princess is doing the same, unbeknownst to the bass player, but when someone steals their clothes, the bass player helps the princess to preserve her dignity by transporting her back to the castle in his bass case, and along the way they discover they have feelings for each other. Based on a short story by Anton Chekhov.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 John CleeseSmychkov | Smychkov |
 Connie BoothPrincess Costanza | Princess Costanza |
 Graham CrowdenCount Alexei | Count Alexei |
 Freddie JonesMaestro Lakeyich | Maestro Lakeyich |
 Jonathan LynnLeader of the Orchestra | Leader of the Orchestra |
 Andrew SachsMusician Zhuchkov | Musician Zhuchkov |
| DDesmond JonesMusician Razmakhaikin | Musician Razmakhaikin |
| DDennis RamsdenPrince Bibulov | Prince Bibulov |
| JJohn MoffattMajordomo | Majordomo |
| TTerry NelsonThief | Thief |
| KKathie O'DonoghuePrincess's maid | Princess's maid |
 June WhitfieldPrince Bibulov's wife | Prince Bibulov's wife |