Life was tough in post-World War II Britain unless you were a part of some particular elite, fabulously wealthy or in film and theatre. Elsie Lancaster, granddaughter of a theatrical landlady, thinks of nothing else but trying to break into acting. Oliver Plunkett, from a pampered background of old money, shares this ambition. For Oliver’s best friend, kooky Coco Hampton, the theatre is all about costume. All three become involved with Portly Cosgrove – sometime manager and soon-to-be agent – and emotionally tangled with each other.