Description: In May 1989 a campaign began to save The rose theatre after it was feared that its unearthed remains would disappear under the construction of a new office block. Actor James Fox presents an appeal fo donations to safeguard The rose before its "stay of execution" ends after thirty days. Fox outline sthe case for the theatre to be saved: The Rose was built in 1571 and ws one of the South Bank's first theatres. William Shakespeare is t hought to have arrived at the same time and it was here that he wrote som eof his finest work. The Rose can therefore claim to have more imortance to our links with Shakespeare than Stratford on Avon. But The Rose is more than this and the archaeologist in charge of the dig highlights its importance as a site of unparalleled importance, detailing the objects that have been found there: a scabbard, the hilt of a dagger, a ring, a metal token and a half-groat. Archaeologiests and historians can map out where the stage was and how the theatre worked. The Rose is the first Elizabethan or Jacobean to be excavated and the thirty-day reprieve will not be enough for any significant work to be done. It is not the only reason for saving The Rose: Shakespeare's plays are the foundation of modern drama; not only for England but the world. A series of actors, broadcasters, scholars and dirctors then explain why they feel The Rose should be saved. The film ends with an appeal for donations by Fox.