Fridae

Directed by Stephen Frears, Mrs. Henderson Presents is a true-ish story of the early years of the controversial (at the time) London nightclub The Windmill in the 1930s. Laura Henderson (played by Judi Dench), a recently widowed British society dame, buys the derelict theatre on a whim because she found embroidering - her friend suggested it to be a suitable pastime for a widow - too dull.

Mrs Henderson then hires out-of-work showbiz pro Vivian Van Damm (played by Bob Hoskins) to manage the theatre and is joined by a gay assistant, singer and talent scout Bertie, played by Will Young, winner of Britain's first Pop Idol in 2002.

Citing Paris' Moulin Rouge as an "inspiration," the Windmill Theater introduced nudity to the British stage for the first time in 1932 after Mrs Henderson convinced the Lord Chamberlain (who had the authority to approve or ban theatrical productions) that a nude woman was "art" if she did not move and thus should be judged similarly like nude art exhibited at the National Gallery.

"If it moves, it's rude," was the Lord Chamberlain's ruling on the nude revue.

Audiences can expect (rampant) female and (brief) male nudity including a full frontal of Hoskins and Young.


Fridae has a quick chat with the 30-year-old gay star who catapulted to fame after winning the inaugural UK Pop Idol contest, the English cousin of its spin-off American Idol.

æ: What was the most difficult thing for you to do in Mrs. Henderson Presents?

Will: The early start - I found it really difficult to get up in the morning. But it was such an enjoyable film to do. Even jumping into the canal at five in the morning, with that weather, I found (an) element of enjoyment in it which I think it is slightly sadistic. Honestly, I just loved doing it all, apart from the early starts. I hated those. I usually don't get out of bed before 10.

æ: Are you thinking to continue to mix acting with singing in the future?

Will: I don't know about doing musicals yet. I would like to do a straight acting role, whatever area it covers, if it is on stage or for film. I am not limiting myself. I don't think I'd like to do musicals yet. I would maybe in a few years.

æ: It's your first movie and you had to appear naked in it. How was it?

Will: Yes, yes. I am very proud with my body and I just thought I needed to show it to the world on the big screen! It was fun actually, a bit like playing strip poker. I knew the people and we just kind of pulled our clothes off. The weird moment was when you take your clothes off and then they go "cut"! That was about it! And then you'll go again. It's really weird. You have to put your clothes back on again. It's not as glamorous.

æ: Was the dialogue with Laura Henderson, about the girls and your character's "inclinations," added specially for you?

Will: That line was there beforehand. I remembered at the auditions hearing other people before it got to my turn.

æ: The fact that Bertie is gay, was it a criteria for you to choose this character?

Will: I don't think so. Even though this character is openly gay, it was only a small part of who he was. In a way, I thought it was one of the interesting reasons why I was in the film. You never see much more about it. I think they did choose to have a gay character, because when Bertie and Vivian do the auditions, (and go on a) tour to find a girl, it would have been two men sitting there, looking at them, it would have been too sleazy.

æ: Was it easier for you to identify with your character because he was also gay?

Will: Yes, I can definitively identify with that but what I really identify with, it's his strength, to say that. He is a very strong talent. He even whispered that to someone at that time, was a very brave thing to do. He said it in a humorous way and that shows his take on life.