diff --git a/engines/parallaction/parallaction_br.cpp b/engines/parallaction/parallaction_br.cpp
index 78d5bcd1167..e31fe1c7f70 100644
--- a/engines/parallaction/parallaction_br.cpp
+++ b/engines/parallaction/parallaction_br.cpp
@@ -342,26 +342,28 @@ void Parallaction_br::changeLocation() {
 void Parallaction_br::parseLocation(const char *filename) {
 	debugC(1, kDebugParser, "parseLocation('%s')", filename);
 
+	// find a new available slot
 	allocateLocationSlot(filename);
 	Script *script = _disk->loadLocation(filename);
 
-	_locationParser->parse(script);
+	// parse the text file
+	LocationParserOutput_br out;
+	_locationParser->parse(script, &out);
+	assert(out._info);
 	delete script;
 
 	bool visited = getLocationFlags() & kFlagsVisited;
 
-	// this loads animation scripts
-	AnimationList::iterator ait = _location._animations.begin();
-	for ( ; ait != _location._animations.end(); ++ait) {
-		// restore the flags if the location has already been visited
-		restoreOrSaveZoneFlags(*ait, visited);
+	// load background, mask and path
+	_vm->_disk->loadScenery(*out._info,
+		out._backgroundName.empty() ? 0 : out._backgroundName.c_str(),
+		out._maskName.empty()       ? 0 : out._maskName.c_str(),
+		out._pathName.empty()       ? 0 : out._pathName.c_str());
+	// assign background
+	_vm->_gfx->setBackground(kBackgroundLocation, out._info);
 
-		// load the script
-		if ((*ait)->_scriptName) {
-			loadProgram(*ait, (*ait)->_scriptName);
-		}
-	}
 
+	// process zones
 	ZoneList::iterator zit = _vm->_location._zones.begin();
 	for ( ; zit != _vm->_location._zones.end(); ++zit) {
 		ZonePtr z = *zit;
@@ -372,6 +374,28 @@ void Parallaction_br::parseLocation(const char *filename) {
 		if (z->_flags & kFlagsAnimLinked) {
 			z->_linkedAnim = _location.findAnimation(z->_linkedName.c_str());
 		}
+
+		bool visible = (z->_flags & kFlagsRemove) == 0;
+		if (visible) {
+			_vm->showZone(z, visible);
+		}
+	}
+
+	// load the character (must be done before animations are processed)
+	if (!out._characterName.empty()) {
+		_vm->changeCharacter(out._characterName.c_str());
+	}
+
+	// process animations
+	AnimationList::iterator ait = _location._animations.begin();
+	for ( ; ait != _location._animations.end(); ++ait) {
+		// restore the flags if the location has already been visited
+		restoreOrSaveZoneFlags(*ait, visited);
+
+		// load the script
+		if ((*ait)->_scriptName) {
+			loadProgram(*ait, (*ait)->_scriptName);
+		}
 	}
 
 	debugC(1, kDebugParser, "parseLocation('%s') done", filename);
diff --git a/engines/parallaction/parser.h b/engines/parallaction/parser.h
index 79da55d6b46..b7c8a9e029e 100644
--- a/engines/parallaction/parser.h
+++ b/engines/parallaction/parser.h
@@ -128,13 +128,6 @@ protected:
 		CommandList *list;
 		bool		endcommands;
 		CommandPtr	cmd;
-
-		// BRA specific
-		int numZones;
-		BackgroundInfo	*info;
-		char *characterName;
-		Common::String _maskName;
-		Common::String _pathName;
 	} ctxt;
 
 	void warning_unexpected();
@@ -240,12 +233,23 @@ public:
 };
 
 
+struct LocationParserOutput_br {
+	BackgroundInfo	*_info;
+
+	Common::String _characterName;
+	Common::String _backgroundName;
+	Common::String _maskName;
+	Common::String _pathName;
+};
+
 class LocationParser_br : public LocationParser_ns {
 
 protected:
 	Parallaction_br*	_vm;
 	Table		*_audioCommandsNames;
 
+	LocationParserOutput_br *_out;
+
 	DECLARE_UNQUALIFIED_LOCATION_PARSER(location);
 	DECLARE_UNQUALIFIED_LOCATION_PARSER(zone);
 	DECLARE_UNQUALIFIED_LOCATION_PARSER(animation);
@@ -302,7 +306,7 @@ public:
 		delete _audioCommandsNames;
 	}
 
-	void parse(Script *script);
+	void parse(Script *script, LocationParserOutput_br *out);
 
 };
 
diff --git a/engines/parallaction/parser_br.cpp b/engines/parallaction/parser_br.cpp
index a81203dfd0c..cc885b8149f 100644
--- a/engines/parallaction/parser_br.cpp
+++ b/engines/parallaction/parser_br.cpp
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ DECLARE_LOCATION_PARSER(location)  {
 		_vm->_char._ani->setF(atoi(_tokens[nextToken]));
 	}
 
-	_vm->_disk->loadScenery(*ctxt.info, _tokens[1], 0, 0);
+	_out->_backgroundName = _tokens[1];
 }
 
 DECLARE_LOCATION_PARSER(zone)  {
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ DECLARE_LOCATION_PARSER(zone)  {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	ctxt.z->_index = ctxt.numZones++;
+	ctxt.z->_index = _zoneProg;
 	ctxt.z->_locationIndex = _vm->_currentLocationIndex;
 
 	_vm->restoreOrSaveZoneFlags(ctxt.z, _vm->getLocationFlags() & kFlagsVisited);
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ DECLARE_LOCATION_PARSER(animation)  {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	ctxt.a->_index = ctxt.numZones++;
+	ctxt.a->_index = _zoneProg;
 	ctxt.a->_locationIndex = _vm->_currentLocationIndex;
 
 	_vm->restoreOrSaveZoneFlags(ctxt.a, _vm->getLocationFlags() & kFlagsVisited);
@@ -439,8 +439,7 @@ DECLARE_LOCATION_PARSER(redundant)  {
 
 DECLARE_LOCATION_PARSER(character)  {
 	debugC(7, kDebugParser, "LOCATION_PARSER(character) ");
-
-	ctxt.characterName = strdup(_tokens[1]);
+	_out->_characterName = _tokens[1];
 }
 
 
@@ -463,13 +462,13 @@ DECLARE_LOCATION_PARSER(null)  {
 DECLARE_LOCATION_PARSER(mask)  {
 	debugC(7, kDebugParser, "LOCATION_PARSER(mask) ");
 
-	ctxt.info->layers[0] = 0;
-	ctxt.info->layers[1] = atoi(_tokens[2]);
-	ctxt.info->layers[2] = atoi(_tokens[3]);
-	ctxt.info->layers[3] = atoi(_tokens[4]);
+	_out->_info->layers[0] = 0;
+	_out->_info->layers[1] = atoi(_tokens[2]);
+	_out->_info->layers[2] = atoi(_tokens[3]);
+	_out->_info->layers[3] = atoi(_tokens[4]);
 
 	// postpone loading of screen mask data, because background must be loaded first
-	ctxt._maskName = _tokens[1];
+	_out->_maskName = _tokens[1];
 }
 
 
@@ -477,7 +476,7 @@ DECLARE_LOCATION_PARSER(path)  {
 	debugC(7, kDebugParser, "LOCATION_PARSER(path) ");
 
 	// postpone loading of screen path data, because background must be loaded first
-	ctxt._pathName = _tokens[1];
+	_out->_pathName = _tokens[1];
 }
 
 
@@ -770,10 +769,10 @@ void LocationParser_br::parseGetData(ZonePtr z) {
 		data->_gfxobj = obj;
 	} else
 	if (!scumm_stricmp(_tokens[0], "mask")) {
-		ctxt.info->loadGfxObjMask(_tokens[1], data->_gfxobj);
+		_out->_info->loadGfxObjMask(_tokens[1], data->_gfxobj);
 	} else
 	if (!scumm_stricmp(_tokens[0], "path")) {
-		ctxt.info->loadGfxObjPath(_tokens[1], data->_gfxobj);
+		_out->_info->loadGfxObjPath(_tokens[1], data->_gfxobj);
 	} else
 	if (!scumm_stricmp(_tokens[0], "icon")) {
 		data->_getIcon = 4 + _vm->_objectsNames->lookup(_tokens[1]);
@@ -1247,34 +1246,13 @@ void ProgramParser_br::init() {
 	INSTRUCTION_PARSER(endscript);
 }
 
-void LocationParser_br::parse(Script *script) {
-	ctxt.numZones = 0;
-	ctxt.characterName = 0;
-	ctxt.info = new BackgroundInfo;
-	ctxt._pathName.clear();
-	ctxt._maskName.clear();
+void LocationParser_br::parse(Script *script, LocationParserOutput_br *out) {
+	assert(out);
+	_out = out;
+	_out->_info = new BackgroundInfo;
+	assert(_out->_info);
 
 	LocationParser_ns::parse(script);
-
-	// finally load mask and path, if any
-	_vm->_disk->loadScenery(*ctxt.info, 0,
-		ctxt._maskName.empty() ? 0 : ctxt._maskName.c_str(),
-		ctxt._pathName.empty() ? 0 : ctxt._pathName.c_str());
-
-	_vm->_gfx->setBackground(kBackgroundLocation, ctxt.info);
-
-	ZoneList::iterator it = _vm->_location._zones.begin();
-	for ( ; it != _vm->_location._zones.end(); ++it) {
-		bool visible = ((*it)->_flags & kFlagsRemove) == 0;
-		if (visible)
-			_vm->showZone((*it), visible);
-	}
-
-	if (ctxt.characterName) {
-		_vm->changeCharacter(ctxt.characterName);
-	}
-
-	free(ctxt.characterName);
 }
 
 } // namespace Parallaction