Though we see other people, the film is really a duet between Sir, an aging actor-manager who runs his own theatre company, and Norman, his dresser, who gets him into costume and, ultimately, into shape to go on stage each night. Sir is on his last legs; Norman is alternately his cheerleader, his parent, and his whipping boywhatever it takes to get Sir up to performance level each night. Finney perfectly captures the vainglorious insecurity of this aging ham, whose career has never quite matched his expectations but who has to convince himself each night (with Norman's help) that a performance in the provinces is as big a deal as treading the boards in the West End.