The show encompasses 20 or so years in the lives of silent movie director Mack Sennett and one of his stars, Mabel Normand. A generation separated Sennett and Normand in age, but he became her Svengali when, in 1911, as a young teenager, she arrived at his studio delivering sandwiches and unintentionally became involved in a shoot. Sennett immediately recognised her potential in comedy and inveigled her into joining his team of actors, alongside Fatty Arbuckle. The show opens in 1932 at the end of their relationship and Mack takes us back to the beginning and proceeds to relate the drama of the intervening years in words and music: the success, and subsequent move of his Keystone Studios from Brooklyn to California; the awakening of ‘mutual interests’ between Mabel and himself, never fully acknowledged by sennett, with the result that Mabel, after a few happy years, leaves his studio to develop her career in full feature films under the influence of William Desmond Taylor. Seemingly uncaring, Mack continues successfully with his famous Bathing beauties. He sees with horror the series of disastrous films starring Mabel; he wants her back. But pride stands in his way. However, she eventually returns; Mack promises her great things, but again neglects these for his new discovery, The Keystone Kops. Mabel finally returns to Taylor and a life which will bring her to ruin. As the years pass and the days of silent movies are all but over, Mack decides he must fight for Mabel who is alone and on the downward slope. He will make another movie and she will be the star, but is it all too late?