In 1660 London, a woman played Desdemona in Othello, and in so doing, defied the law of the land that stated that only men could play female roles. This well-done film is based on a play by Jeffrey Hatcher that opens up several sides of this happening in theatrical history. It is directed by Richard Eyre and stars Billy Crudup as Edward Kynaston, an actor who has won fame with his portrait of female characters in plays by Shakespeare and others. Maria (Claire Danes), his dresser, is in awe of his remarkable talents and in her spare time memorizes his roles and mimics his gestures.
Imagine his surprise when she runs off one night to perform in an illegal production of Othello held in a tavern. When King Charles II (Rupert Everett) finds out about it, his mistress Nell Gwyn (Zoe Tapper) convinces him to change the law and allow women to perform on the stage with men. Kynaston turns against Maria when she becomes England's first professional actress. He is forced to appear in a lowly drag club.
Many people buzz around Kynaston looking for something to take from him. His lover, the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Chaplin), ditches him once he is no longer famous. Thomas Betterton (Tom Wilkinson), the head of the theatre where he performs, bends to the will of the land when things go badly for Kynaston. Samuel Pepys (Hugh Bonneville), a theatrical groupie who says to the actor, "Truly you were the most beautiful woman in the house," switches his allegiance to Maria once her star rises. Sir Charles Sedley (Richard Griffiths), a fop, takes a disliking to the transvestite actor and orchestrates a beating that batters him badly.
When Kynaston finds out that Maria feels unequal to the challenge of her new acting career, he volunteers to train her. This process is healing and helpful to them both. Can she give up copying his acting style and find her own feminine expression as an actress? And can he find new life as an actor by playing men? They both find the answer in their performances in Othello and the dramatic fireworks are quite astonishing. Stage Beauty is Billy Crudup's film. It provides a winning glimpse into sexual politics and English theatre.
