Welcome back to Theatre in Film, our weekly featurette on a film that showcases a life in the theatre. In Part VI of Theatre in Film, we focus on films from 2003 to 2008 that feature characters overcoming internal and very personal struggles to find their happiness in a life of theatre. This week, we feature the British film, Mrs Henderson Presents from 2005, a story of fun, adventure, and perseverance in the theatre. (As a warning, this film contains nudity and adult language. Viewer discretion is advised.)

Mrs Henderson Presents (2005)

Director: Stephen Frears
Starring: Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Kelly Reilly, and Will Young

What happens:

Mrs Henderson Presents is based on the true story of the Windmill Theatre in London. It tells the story of Laura Henderson (Judi Dench) who, after her husband dies, purchases a rundown theatre and opens it to host Revudeville, a variety show of sorts. The theatre is placed into the hands of Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins), a middle class theatre professional who barely gets along with Mrs. Henderson. When other theatres in the city begin copying her theatre’s show style, she suggests adding nudity, a show aspect that the Moulin Rouge in Paris incorporated for decades.

Her direction comes with a large amount of pushback from the Lord Chamberlain (Christopher Guest), who balks at the mention of naked women. Eventually, Mrs. Henderson and Van Damm achieve their goal of having naked women onstage, but only if they agree to a stipulation that the naked women remain completely still while performing. During a bomb raid in the midst of World War II, one of the revue’s naked girls is killed when the cafe she has run into get bombed, and the show must go on without her. And when the government move to shut down the theatre in fear of the Germans targeting large crowds, Mrs. Henderson recalls how her son, a soldier who died in World War I, had never seen a naked woman. It is for this reason that she bestows the gift of this theatre on young soldiers, and the theatre stays open.

Why it matters:

If the actual film wasn’t enough, the opening titles are a feast for the eyes, with an animated extravaganza of cartoons, vintage vaudeville film, and gorgeous color. As an added bonus, the movie uses real footage from World War II newsreels to help tell the story of how the war impacted Great Britain. It adds a solemn and historical tone to what could simply have been a frivolous romp through 1940s burlesque entertainment.

When it comes to theatre culture, the most striking aspect of this film appears in the relationship between Mrs. Henderson and Mr. Van Damm. From the beginning, both of them are at odds with one another. Mrs. Henderson likes the way Mr. Van Damm doesn’t like her. And Mr. Van Damm enjoys the way Mrs. Henderson gives him total artistic control. Though this sounds like an ideal partnership — both of them liking something about the other — their opinions on how a theatre, auditions, and productions should be run are drastically different. Mrs. Henderson doesn’t know anything about running a theatre, and Mr. Van Damm doesn’t know anything about how to create and sustain interesting, experimental, and fun theatre. (Though Mrs. Henderson doesn’t know much about those things herself, she has a knack for feeling out situations and using a great deal of instinct to direct her decision-making process, which ultimately ends in positive results.)

In a business like theatre, when there’s little to gain and so much to lose, especially during a period of economic uncertainty, physical danger, and low morale, business relationships can be difficult. We often see production leaders arguing over aspects of the show that may seem miniscule to us, but in the vision of either a director or producer, they’re monumental. And in these cases, it’s important that these leaders work together, just as Mrs. Henderson and Mr. Van Damm do, to come to a mutual understanding and positive solution that will end well for the artistic vision and for all parties involved. Mrs. Henderson and Mr. Van Damm are the perfect models of two professionals who don’t get along, but who must work together in order to create and sustain something beautiful.

Mrs Henderson Presents is also a stage musical! Below if a duet number from the Original London Cast recording

This film is a special feature in Theatre in Film, interrupting Part VI. See below for the films in Part VI.

• Camp (2003)
• Stage Beauty (2004)
• Being Julia (2005)
• Holiday Special — White Christmas (1954)
• Me and Orson Welles (2008) (Coming soon.)

Want to start with Part I? Begin with 42nd Street (1933).
Miss Part II? Check out The Band Wagon (1953).
Need a refresh for Part III? Start with our feature on All That Jazz (1979).
How about a recap from Part IV? Jump into A Chorus of Disapproval (1989).
Check out Part V, and start with An Awfully Big Adventure (1995).