Robert asks his agent to get him a romantic lead and Desmond comes up with the goods - a part in a film with Kim Basinger! First, Robert must do a screen test and he finds his competition for the role is none other than Sebastian Groom - an old college friend who is handsome, debonair and a star of commercials.
After accepting the role of a chauffeur in a movie, Desmond advises Robert to enhance his abilities. As he can't drive he is already at a disadvantage but when he is asked to do abseiling and scuba-diving as well, he puts his life in danger for the sake of his art...
Sue has booked a holiday in Greece but Robert, buoyed by his recent success on the fringe circuit, is reluctant to go in case he loses a part while he is away. In a complicated piece of subterfuge, Robert arranges to go to the funeral of a fictional "real" father that occurs during the holiday. As usual, nothing goes to plan!
There are thirty minutes to "curtain up" and backstage Robert is preparing for his first West End lead. When Sue, Desmond and Desmond's wife, Marjorie, come to wish him luck, confusion abounds. Desmond has worse stage fright than his client and somehow manages to lead everyone to believe he is to become a father at 54 - but who is the mother?
When Robert gets involved with a committed political theatre company, he is offered a role which he should be able to do lying down - a corpse! It all sounds simple until he develops a cold and the role involves him being on stage throughout.
Sue's parents are in town and want to see Robert in one of his plays. As he is currently playing a transvestite in a sex farce, Robert thinks it would be inappropriate to bring them along and so suggests that Sue take them to see a more traditional play, The Importance of Being Earnest, sit them in the back row and pretend he is in it!
