The main credit of this film is that it brings you into the art of the theatre, behind the curtains, probing into the private lives of the actors and their agonies before the production, how a play is made and staged and how those mainly in charge act and interact - it's not just about ambition and talent, it involves relationships, passion, personal problems, derailments and even envy and sabotage - it's all here, at the brink of the Second World War just before it breaks out and involving the very outbreak and its disastrous consequences for the theatre - although a fiction it is all realistic and credible and gives you an invaluable insight into theatre work, on stage and off stage. It's a must for anyone involved with the theatre as a lover or worker or just a fan, and it is priceless for its revelations. Add to this the presence of legendary veterans like Lauren Bacall, Ray Dotrice, Julia McKenzie, Anjelica Houston and, perhaps the most important part of all, Terence Stamp as the butler. Keep your eyes on him and don't miss a moment of his stoic acting, which is what saves and leads the film forward every time he appears. The main actors are Zoë Tapper, David Leon and Andrew Lincoln, but there are many others who are exceedingly good as well. As a unique film bringing the world of the theatre into a unique light of vividness, it does deserve the highest rate.