ThemainstoryissetinaBritishMilitaryIntelligenceOfficeinWhitehallduring1956,whereasmallgroupofforeignaffairsanalystsfindtheirquietexistencedisruptedbytheSuezCrisis.EwanMcGregorplaysMickHopper,whoisdoinghisnationalserviceasaninterpreterofRussiandocuments.Boredwithhisjob,Hopperspendshisdayscreatingfantasydaydreamsthatinvolvehisworkcolleaguesbreakingintocontemporaryhitsongs.LouiseGermaineplaysSylviaBerry,theblondewifeoftheviolentCorporalPeteBerry(DouglasHenshall).SylviaisanobjectofdesireforMick'sfellowclerkPrivateFrancisFrancisandamiddle-agedpipe-organistnamedHaroldAtterbow(RoyHudd).Unlikethestreet-wiseHopper,FrancisisaclumsyWelshintellectualwhoseacademiccareerhasbeeninterruptedbyhisarmycallup.TheappearanceofthebookishnieceofasecondedAmericanofficerenablesthetwoconscriptstopairoffwithsuitablepartners,afterinitialmismatching.SomeofthesidethemesincludetheinfluenceofAmericanrockandrollonEnglishsociety,thegulfbetweenthesenioranalysts,whoareregulararmyofficers,andtheconscriptedotherranks,theworkofRussianplaywrightChekhov,andtheappreciationofopulenttheatrepipeorgans.Theunusualcontext—amilitaryculturetransplantedintoacivilservicestyleofficeenvironment—reflectsPotter'sownnationalserviceduringthe1950s.Whilethispiecehastheformofaromanticcomedy,unlikethelessconventionalworksofDennisPotter'smiddleperiod,itisnotwithoutgraphicsexandviolence,aswellasPotter'scharacteristicflashesofdreamlikeimagery.ThecentrepieceofthisproductionisthesurrealmusicalsequencesettothesongInaPersianMarket.
