Mrs. Henderson Presents

In 1930s England, a wealthy widow (Judi Dench) buys a West End theater as a hobby and hires a producer (Bob Hoskins) to stage musical revues; when their early success begins to flag, she suggests that they spice the shows with nudity—for the first time on the British stage. Writer Martin Sherman and director Stephen Frears’ film may sound like giddy fiction, but it sticks reasonably close to the facts; the Windmill Theatre stayed open even through the height of the Blitz, bolstering morale and becoming a London institution before changing times finally closed it in 1968. The movie is a delightful and fitting tribute, deftly mixing comedy, music and drama in a vividly colorful entertainment, brimming with charm and led by the sparkling performances of Dench and Hoskins, two masters at their best.