丈夫死后,劳拉(朱迪·丹奇 Judi Dench 饰)一直郁郁寡欢,周围的朋友们都劝她找一点自己感兴趣的事情来分散注意力,没想到感兴趣的事情对于劳拉来说竟然是买下一间倒闭的剧院。对经营剧院一窍不通的劳拉找来了专业人士范达姆(鲍勃·霍斯金斯 Bob Hoskins 饰),两个老人强硬的性格导致了许多的争吵却也给他们的生活带来了一丝生机。 劳拉将剧院取名为“温德米尔剧院”,他们的经营获得了巨大的成功。但好运并不总是伴随在身边,很快,竞争对手们纷纷效仿劳拉的做法,温德米尔剧院的生意一落千丈。为了挽回局势,劳拉做出了一个大胆的决定——在剧院中表演脱衣舞。这一决定犹如巨石投入大海,激起了无数浪花,但劳拉坚定的意志竟然让这个几乎不可能通过审核的表演项目获得了批准。但就在观众们拭目以待的节骨眼上,战争爆发了。Recently widowed well-to-do Laura Henderson is at a bit of a loose end in inter-war London. On a whim she buys the derelict Windmill theatre in the West End and persuades impresario Vivian Van Damm to run it, despite the fact the two don't seem to get on at all. Although their idea of a non-stop revue is at first a success, other theatres copy it and disaster looms. Laura suggests they put nudes in the show, but Van Damm points out that the Lord Chamberlain, who licenses live shows in Britain, is likely to have something to say about this. Luckily Mrs Henderson is friends with him.