The film, which begins in the 1937, stems from a true story. Dame Judi plays the wealthy newly widowed Mrs. Laura Henderson, who, in searching for something fulfilling to do, buys the run-down and shuttered Windmill Theatre in London. She hires as manager the irascible Vivian Van Damn, played colorfully by Hoskins. There’s tension between them; she’s willful and so is he. But over the course of time a bond develops despite all of the obstacles, irritations and personality clashes.

The non-stop “Revuedeville” they introduce as an innovation is successful, but when others imitate the format, business drops. The ever resourceful and determined Mrs. Henderson comes up with an outrageous new idea, nude women on the London stage as in Paris. To get by the censor, the deal is that the women can pose but not move. We are treated to a bevy of beauties along the lines of what was considered attractive at the time, before the taste for showgirls dictated long legs a la Las Vegas.

Backstage drama proliferates as we get to know the nudes, and the film is replete with music that goes with the territory and songs popular during World War II, an important backdrop for the story. Despite the dangers, the Windmill never closes during the London blitz, thanks to the determination and wiles of Mrs. Henderson. In the face of anti-Semitism prevalent during the period, Van Damm has tried to deny he is Jewish, but he is distraught when the Jews of Holland are persecuted, and there is an emotionally effective scene when Mrs. Henderson quietly recognizes his unspoken sadness.