After being posted by his firm to the quiet, British seaside resort of Scarborough, a timid widower, Guy Jones, joins the local production of "A Beggar's Opera" in an attempt to "meet people and have fun." As a result of his thespian pursuits, Guy becomes involved in the real-life drama of the small town, hopelessly entangling himself in a series of love triangles, real estate scams and endless gossip. The plot is brought to a ripe conclusion by Dafydd Ap Llewellyn, the cantankerous, tyrannical director of the play, who is eventually upstaged by the very actors he manipulates on stage.