Fans of Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman may well be disappointed by this miserable, mean-spirited drama, drained of any sense of joy in the world it portrays.

Georgina Cates plays an impressionable Liverpool teenager in 1947 who has ambition but no virtue in any sense.

Grant is the monocled, boy-baiting boss of a local theatre company who, for some reason not apparent on screen, gives her a job.

From what follows, it seems unlikely Georgina would last a week, let alone a season.

But she hangs on long enough for the nearly-famous PL O'Hara (Alan Rickman) to return to the company and make advances to her, attracted perhaps by her heroic chest since she has no discernible personality.

There's a twist or two in the tail of this, but they're just as glum as all the rest and tragedy looms for practically the entire cast at the end.

Grant, Rickman and Peter Firth (excellent as the stage manager still carrying a torch for Grant) do their best to flesh out these grey and unpleasant people.