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.