Rhona Loveday is a hard-headed Geordie, well-equipped to survive in the male-dominated world of 1970s secondary education.

However, the romantic side of her character is aroused when she hears that the one-time Savoy Cinema, purchased by Akengarth Amateurs for conversion into a theatre, stands derelict for lack of funds.

Aided by jobbing builder Matt Brocklehurst and his unlikely apprentice Bev, a girl whom Rhona remembers as a struggling child and a stranger to self-belief, she sets about persuading the society that their dream can still be realised.

Faced with the economic adversity and industrial strife of 1973-74, the project is threatened from the start. With only the members' determination, Rhona's steadfast vision and Matt's down-to-earth planning in its favour, the success of the venture hangs very much in the balance.