Garrick Jones has a dubious media past. His career has been spiced with exaggerations and lies but his new American wife is planning a career of her own. Then genealogy strikes. 2004 is the Centenary Year of Anton Chekhov, the great Russian playwright. When his mother-in-law arrives from Long Island to stay in U.K. she claims she has pure Chekhovian roots. Soon Garrick finds himself moving from London to Norston to set up a Chekhov production. Quickly the town's only theatre becomes the centre of conflict as developers move in. Temptations and corruption abound as business and politics drag the whole town into conflict. While the women rage at the state of their world, live theatre becomes their only escape. Showbiz promises love and romance. Abigail, the young backstage trainee finds herself entangled - In this sometimes satirical look at an era, anything can happen. And does.