Storyline

Recent widower Guy Jones (Jeremy Irons) is transferred to a sleepy small town in Britain, where he decides to audition for an amateur production of "The Beggar's Opera." The director, Dafydd Ap Llewellyn (Anthony Hopkins), is such a tyrant that most of the actors quit, bringing Guy's role to more prominence. His local fame facilitates his seduction of numerous townswomen, including co-star Fay (Jenny Seagrove) and Llewellyn's wife, Hannah (Prunella Scales).

Plot Keywords

actor, actress, director, widower, wife, lighthearted, charming, madcap, small town, england, theater, actors, theater production, affair, small-town life, transformation, adventure, love, 1980s

Short Review

Only Michael Winner could take an ensemble of expert farceurs and throw them under the proverbial bus. This ugly, dated, miscast mess is an embarrassment when it isn't a bore. Anthony Hopkins reprises his Captain Bligh, Jeremy Irons - struggling with an ill-fitting Northern accent - is charmless and glib, Prunella Scales gives the impression she's in Chekhov (she's not), and it's baffling to see veterans like Lionel Jeffries and - particularly - Richard Briers, completely wasted in tiny supporting roles. The best performance is Gareth Hunt's. That tells you everything.

Trailer

Streaming Service

1. Amazon Video : Rent from $1.99, Or $0.00 with a Prime membership