

The Dresser
1983-12-06 · 118 min · ★ 6.8
In a touring Shakespearean theater group, a backstage hand - the dresser - is devoted to the brilliant but tyrannical head of the company. He struggles to support the deteriorating star as the company struggles to carry on during the London Blitz. The pathos of his backstage efforts rival the pathos in the story of Lear and the Fool that is being presented on-stage, as the situation comes to a crisis.
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Production details
- Directors
- Peter Yates
- Production companies
- Columbia Pictures
- Countries
- United Kingdom
- Status
- Released
Top Cast
Albert FinneySir
Tom CourtenayNorman
Edward FoxOxenby
Zena WalkerHer Ladyship
Eileen AtkinsMadge
Michael GoughFrank Carrington
Cathryn HarrisonIrene
Betty MarsdenViolet Manning
Sheila ReidLydia Gibson
Lockwood WestGeoffrey Thornton
Llewellyn ReesHorace Brown
Kevin StoneyC. Rivers Lane
Kathy StaffBombazine Woman
Roger AvonCharlesTitle information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.
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View authorized watch options on TMDbSeasons & episodes
Recommendations

One fateful night in a small English regional theatre during World War II a troupe of touring actors stage a production of Shakespeares King Lear. Bombs are falling, sirens are wailing, the curtain is up in an hour but the actor/manager Sir who is playing Lear is nowhere to be seen. His dresser Norman must scramble to keep the production alive but will Sir turn up in time and if he does will he be able to perform that night? The Dresser is a wickedly funny and deeply moving story of friendship and loyalty as Sir reflects on his lifelong accomplishments and seeks to reconcile his turbulent friendships with those in his employ before the final curtain.

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