Mrs. Henderson PresentsUK
2005, 103min.
 Script: Martin Sherman, Dir.: Stephen Frears, Dir. of Phot.: Andrew Dunn, Compos.: George Fenton, Prod. Design: Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski, Sound: Nick Foley, Johnathan Rush, Edit.: Lucia Zucchetti, Prod.: Norma Heyman.
Cast: Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Will Young, Kelly Reilly, Thelma Barlow, Christopher Guest.
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. | Frears, Stephen Stephen Frears (born 20.06.1941, Leicester, UK)
Frears studied law at Cambridge University before turning to the arts. He became involved with London's Royal Court Theatre, where he served as an assistant to director Lindsay Anderson and to actor Albert Finney. He started his career in the film industry as an assistant director to Karel Reisz, with whom he worked from 1966 until 1972.
In 1971, Frears made his directorial debut with Gumshoe. Frears helmed a few made-for-television films and, in 1985, he had his breakthrough directing My Beautiful Laundrette, - written for the screen by Hanif Kureshi. Frears and Kureshi again collaborated on Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987), a film about the faltering relationship between a London couple.
Frears' next three films proved to be some of the most successful in his career. The first, Prick up Your Ears (1987), was a biographical drama about the celebrated and controversial English playwright Joe Orton. A year later, a Best Director BAFTA nomination and a number of international honors greeted Frears for Dangerous Liaisons his adaptation of Choderlos de Laclo, with John Malkovich and Glenn Close. Frears gained more international acclaim and a Best Director Oscar nomination in 1990 for The Grifters. Frears continued in 2000 with a nod to his past by directing the television remake of Fail Safe, featuring an all-star cast headed by George Clooney and Harvey Keitel. It was the first live two-hour telefilm in decades. The same year he releases the drama Liam. In 2002, Frears made one of his very best films, Dirty Pretty Things, a biting yet hopeful drama-thriller about illegal aliens working, living, and surviving in London. In 2003, Frears once again directed a film for British television. The Deal was a historical political drama about how Tony Blair came to be the head of the Liberal party.
Filmography
The Burning (1968), Gumshoe (1971), Bloody Kids (1979), The Hit (1984), My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), Prick Up Your Ears (1987), Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), The Grifters (1990), Mary Reilly (1996), The Van (1996), The Hi-Lo Country (1998), High Fidelity (2000), Liam (2000), Dirty Pretty Things (2002), Mrs Henderson Presents (2005), The Queen (2006).
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