It's 1942 in Britain and the smell of death is in the air. The sirens howl, signaling another air raid, but inside the crumbling walls of a regional theatre in the provinces the aging actor, Sir, prepares to give his 227th performance as King Lear. Norman, Sir's devoted, fuss-budget dresser, is barely able to take care of himself but faithfully assists Sir in near feudal servitude, massaging his ego, pampering his intellect and even creating sound effects for the Shakespearean production by Sir's struggling troupe. This touching and poignant tribute to theatre, friendship and the human spirit in the face of great strife - be it war or one's own debilitating mortality - proves that "the show must go on."