Sir, the last of the great breed of English actor/managers, is in a bad way tonight. As his dresser tries valiantly to prepare him to go on stage as King Lear, he is having great difficulty remembering who and where he is, let alone Lear’s lines – and the air raid sirens whining and bombs crashing to earth nearby aren’t helping one bit. Oscar-winning screenwriter and
playwright Harwood offers us not only a glimpse of the chaos and surprising hilarity of a World War II era backstage world, but a poignant look at the challenges faced by those suffering from dementia, and the people who care for them.