Mrs Henderson Presents

Aroview: Set in the grey drabness of 1930s England, this charming wee feel-gooder tells the true story of an eccentric, somewhat difficult dowager (Dench) who, out of boredom, decides to renovate a Soho vaudeville theatre and stage nude revues with the help of a music hall veteran (Hoskins).

Battles follow with the censorious Lord Chancellor (Guest),over this explicit brand of theatrical fun, before dissolving into the larger problem of WW2 and the Blitz, during which Mrs Henderson tries to keep the limelights burning. Impossible to dislike, Dench and Hoskins give off sparks throughout, animating an otherwise familiar comic formula.

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