Tea with Mussolini

12/20/2025

The “Scorpioni” are a bunch of entitled and privileged British women who live in Florence in the 1930s under the leadership of “Lady Hester” (Dame Maggie Smith). She is the widow of the former British Ambassador and is not entirely unsympathetic to the aspirations of “Il Duce”. Occasionally, they have to tolerate the interloping presence of the brash and wealthy American actress “Elsa” (Cher) but even with the aggressive rise of the fascists, that appears to be the only inconvenience in their rarified world. One of their number, “Mary” (Joan Plowright) is a kindly soul, and has taken the recently orphaned young “Luca” (Charlie Lucas) under her wing - and that provides a link, of sorts, between herself and the American who also cares deeply for the young lad and who wants to make some provi