It's the 1660s, and actor Ned Kynaston is sitting pretty; the brightest star in Restoration theatre. Women are forbidden to appear on stage, so the beautiful, brazen, bisexual Ned shines in all the great female roles. Maria, his loyal dresser, looks on with admiration - and just a touch of envy. But suddenly, Ned's world is turned upside-down. Charles II is keen to spice up the theatre and see his persuasive young mistress Nell Gwyn take some applause. So he changes the law, banning cross-dressing male actors, and sending Ned's once-glittering career into freefall.