During a winter production of Peter Pan, the play quickly turns into a dark metaphor for youth as she becomes drawn into a web of sexual politics and intrigue.

Some time later, Stella Bradshaw lives in a working class household with her Uncle Vernon and Aunt Lily in Liverpool.

Her uncle, who sees a theatrical career as being her only alternative to working behind the counter at Woolworth's, signs her up for speech lessons and pulls strings to get her involved at a local repertory theatre.

After an unsuccessful audition, Stella gets a job gofering for Meredith Potter, the troupe's sleazy, eccentric director, and Bunny, his faithful stage manager.

Stella is quickly caught up in the backstage intrigue and also becomes an object of sexual advances from boys in and around the theatre company, including P. L. O'Hara, a brilliant actor who has returned to the troupe in a stint playing Captain Hook for its Christmas production of Peter Pan.

Haunted by his wartime experiences and a lost love who he believes bore him a son, O'Hara embarks on an affair with Stella, to whom he feels an inexplicably deep emotional connection.

Stella, who is still determined to win over Meredith, remains emotionally detached, but takes advantage of O'Hara's affections, seeing an opportunity to gain sexual experience.

The last straw for Stella is during a cast outing when Geoffrey, a fellow stagehand whom Potter has been sexually toying with, bursts out and hits him in the nose.

"[9] Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "This isn't a sentimental slice of British eccentricity, or a gentle glance at amateur theatricals and the oddballs who inhabit them...

"[10] Janet Maslin of The New York Times, however, felt that it captured "Mr. Grant as the clever, versatile character actor he was then becoming, rather than the international dreamboat he is today... [the film] isn't overly concerned with making its stars look good.

Mr. Grant wears a monocle, has nicotine-stained fingers and appears in one scene looking dissolute and vomit-stained... As it turns out, a public relations blackout is only the least of this admirable film's problems.

Mr. Newell directs his actors beautifully, but the screenplay by Charles Wood echoes Ms. Bainbridge in letting important information fly by obliquely.

[13] Hugh Grant later stated he wished that movie were more successful as it could have allowed him to play a wider range of roles earlier in his career.