Mrs. Henderson Presents

Recently widowed and wealthy, Laura Henderson buys a London theatre in the West End as a way to fill her days. She hires Vivian Van Damm, an experienced impresario with whom she argues constantly, to run the Windmill. Their continuous variety revue draws audiences at first, but when rival theatres copy the format, takings fall. Henderson then pushes for something not previously seen on the British stage: nude female performers, a proposal that requires permission from the Lord Chamberlain. The film is set in London in the years before and during the Second World War.

Stephen Frears directed this British comedy drama, the fourteenth of the twenty-three features he has made in chronological order, following Dirty Pretty Things and preceding The Queen. Martin Sherman wrote the screenplay, and Norma Heyman produced. Judi Dench plays Laura Henderson and Bob Hoskins plays Vivian Van Damm, with Will Young, Christopher Guest, Kelly Reilly and Thelma Barlow among the credited cast of fifty-two.

Made for about 20 million dollars, the film took roughly 26 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7 out of 10 from around 17,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.7 out of 10 from 239 votes. A critics' rating of 6.8 out of 10 from 142 reviews places it close to the audience scores on both sites.