BBC adaptation of Patrick Hamilton's play.

The life and loves of Music hall singer Vesta Tilley, who married into the nobility

A train disaster is told in four short stories to give character studies of the people involved, how it will affect them and how they deal with it.

Sophy, a kitchen maid, has her fortune told by a gypsy, who sees something shiny over Sophy's head: a sword, or perhaps a crown. Sophy then sets out for Paris, where she gains employment with the Zerkovitches. As war breaks out, she returns with them to Kravonia. There, Sophy meets Crown Prince Sergius and saves him from assassins, who plot to overthrow the dynasty and place Alexis, the son of the ailing king's wife, on the throne.

Two friends get drunk and decide to switch identities. One is a Parliamentary Secretary, and the other is the captain of a ship. The former's lack of sea knowledge causes several catastrophes, including torpedoing the First Lord of The Admiralty. The grass is always greener.... In this British comedy, two drunken comrades find out the truth of that saying when they decide to trade places for a while. One of the boozers is a public relations man who knows nothing about sailing, while the other is a captain for the Royal Navy. Comic mayhem ensues as the hapless "captain" tries to run his ship and follow orders.