| Mrs Henderson Presents | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Stephen Frears |
| Written by | Martin Sherman |
| Produced by | Norma Heyman Bob Hoskins |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
| Edited by | Lucia Zucchetti |
| Music by | George Fenton |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Pathé Distribution (United Kingdom) The Weinstein Company (United States) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 103 minutes[1] |
| Countries | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million[2] |
| Box office | $27.8 million[2] |
Mrs Henderson Presents is a 2005biographicalmusicalcomedy-drama film directed byStephen Frears and written byMartin Sherman. It starsJudi Dench,Bob Hoskins,Kelly Reilly, andWill Young (in his acting debut). It tells the true story ofLaura Henderson, an eccentric British socialite who opened theWindmill Theatre in London in 1931.
Mrs Henderson Presents was theatrically released on 25 November 2005 byThe Weinstein Company. It received generally positive reviews from critics and did moderately well, grossing $27.8 million against its $20 million budget. It received two nominations at the78th Academy Awards;Best Actress (for Dench) andBest Costume Design (forSandy Powell).
Following her husband's death, eccentric 70-year-old widow MrsLaura Henderson purchases a redundant cinema and remodels it to create theWindmill Theatre inLondon, as a post-widowhood hobby and appoints autocratic managerVivian Van Damm. In 1937, they start a continuous variety revue called "Revudeville", but after other theatres copy this innovation, they begin losing money. Mrs Henderson suggests they add femalenudity, similar to theMoulin Rouge in Paris, something unprecedented in theUnited Kingdom. TheLord Chamberlain (Rowland Baring, 2nd Earl of Cromer) reluctantly allows this under the condition that the nude female performers remain immobile, so the performances can be considered art, the equivalent of nude statues in museums.
Because the theatre's auditorium is below street level, it is relatively safe duringthe bombing of London, and performances continue. The performers bravely go on with the show even during frightening bombing raids, and the posed nude girls resume their poses, after ducking, as the whole theatre is shaken and the sceneflats all round them sway when a bomb lands close by.
Maureen, one of the cast, becomes involved at Mrs Henderson's instigation with a young soldier, Paul, one of the audience regulars. Maureen becomes pregnant and receives word that after Paul isdemobilised, he intends to return to his girlfriend. She becomes very upset, and hands in her notice. Before further developments, she is killed by a bomb while leaving the theatre.
Other scenes depict life in the theatre during the period. Mrs Henderson and Mr Van Damm frequently clash, but also show great appreciation for each other.
Eventually, the authorities want the theatre to close because of the danger from bombs to crowds gathering outside the theatre. Mrs Henderson successfully argues that for soldiers going to die in the war, this is their last chance, and for many of the young soldiers their only chance, to see naked women. She reflects on the death of her son in theFirst World War, and how he may never have even seen a naked woman except on aFrench postcard he had left at home, before going off to war and dying in agas attack.
The film's closing credits explain that, on her death in 1944, Mrs Henderson bequeathed the theatre to Mr Van Damm.
The film received mostly positive reviews. OnRotten Tomatoes the film has a 68% approval rating based on 142 reviews with an average rating 6.65 out of 10. The site's consensus states: "Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins shine in this warm, witty period piece."[3]Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[4]
The websiteFuture Movies described the film as "very funny, sweet and charming".[citation needed]Roger Ebert reacted fairly positively to the film, saying "Mrs Henderson Presents is not great cinema, and neither was the Windmill great theater, but they both put on a good show."[5]
The film was nominated for several awards, among them fourBAFTA Awards including Best Original Screenplay,[6] twoAcademy Awards,[7] threeGolden Globe Awards,[8] and eightBritish Independent Film Awards.
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Actress | Judi Dench | Nominated | [7] |
| Best Costume Design | Sandy Powell | Nominated | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Judi Dench | Nominated | [6] |
| Best Original Screenplay | Martin Sherman | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Sandy Powell | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Music | George Fenton | Nominated | ||
| British Independent Film Awards | Best British Independent Film | Stephen Frears | Nominated | [9][10] |
| Best Director | Stephen Frears | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor | Bob Hoskins | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Judi Dench | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor/Actress | Kelly Reilly | Nominated | ||
| Breakthrough Performance | Thelma Barlow | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Martin Sherman | Nominated | ||
| Best Technical Achievement | Sandy Powell (Wardrobe) | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Norma Heyman | Nominated | [8] |
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Judi Dench | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Bob Hoskins | Nominated | ||
| National Board of Review | Best Acting by an Ensemble | Won | [11] | |
In June 2014, it was first revealed by producer John Reid that amusical adaption of the film was in the works,[12] with a workshop taking place the same year.[13] On 16 October 2014, the musical was officially confirmed and it was announced that the show would receive its world premiere in summer 2015, with a view to aWest End transfer.[14] The musical is directed by and has a book byTerry Johnson,[15] based on an original screenplay byMartin Sherman,[16] with choreography by Andrew Wright,[17] set design by Tim Shortall,[17] costume design by Paul Wills,[17] lighting by Ben Ormerod[17] andmagic consultancy byScott Penrose.[18] Music by George Fenton and Simon Chamberlain (musical director on the 2005 film) and lyrics by Don Black.
The show's premiere production began previews at theTheatre Royal in Bath, on 15 August 2015, with its official opening night coming on 26 August, for a limited run until 25 September 2015.[19] Rehearsals began on 7 July 2015.[20] On 6 March 2015, initial casting was announced with the news thatJanie Dee would play the role ofLaura Henderson withEmma Williams playing Maureen.[21] Further notable casting includedIan Bartholomew asVivian Van Damm andMark Hadfield as Arthur.[22] On 7 July 2015, it was revealed that Janie Dee had withdrawn from the production prior to rehearsals for personal reasons and thatTracie Bennett would replace her in the role of Laura Henderson.[23]
Following completion of the musical's tryout inBath, it was announced that the show would transfer to theNoël Coward Theatre in London'sWest End[24] with an official opening night of 16 February 2016 following previews from 9 February.[25] The majority of the cast reprised their roles with the exceptions ofMark Hadfield, who was replaced in the role of Arthur by formerEastEnders actorJamie Foreman,[26] Graham Hoadly who was replaced (owing to a prior contractual commitment) in the role ofLord Cromer byRobert Hands and Jane Milligan who was replaced in the role of Lady Conway by Liz Ewing.[27]
