British Comedy Guide
Quartet. Image shows from L to R: Reginald Paget (Tom Courtenay), Jean Horton (Maggie Smith)
Quartet

Quartet

  • 2012 film

Comedy about the residents of a retirement home for retired operatic artistes, directed by Dustin Hoffman. Stars Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins, Sheridan Smith and Michael Gambon

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Quartet. Image shows from L to R: Cissy Robson (Pauline Collins), Reginald Paget (Tom Courtenay), Wilf Bond (Billy Connolly), Jean Horton (Maggie Smith)

Key details

Genre
Film
Released
2012
Stars
Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins, Sheridan Smith and Michael Gambon
Writer
Ronald Harwood
Director
Dustin Hoffman
Producers
Finola Dwyer, Stewart MacKinnon, Jamie Laurenson, Dario Suter, Christoph Daniel, Marc Schmidheiny, Dickon Stainer, Xavier Marchand and Dustin Hoffman

Lifelong friends Wilf and Reggie, together with former colleague Cissy, are residents of Beecham House, a home for retired opera singers. Every year on Giuseppe Verdi's birthday, the residents unite to give a concert to raise funds for their home. But when Jean Horton, a former grande dame of the opera fallen on hard times, also Reggie's ex-wife and the fourth and most celebrated member of their former quartet, moves into the home to everyone's surprise, the plans for this year's concert start to unravel.

As old grudges threaten to undermine past glories and theatrical temperaments play havoc with the rehearsal schedule, it becomes apparent that having four of the finest singers in English operatic history under one roof offers no guarantee that the show will go on.

Based on Ronald Harwood's stage play of the same name, Quartet is a wickedly comic film about redefining old age and growing old with hope; demonstrating how art illuminates life and the human spirit remains undimmed even as the brightest stars start to fade.

Quartet is actor Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut, and was nominated for a 2013 Golden Globe for Maggie Smith's performance (Best Actress - Comedy or Musical).

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Additional details

UK certificate
12A
Duration
98 minutes
Production
Studio
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

Most recent repeats
  • Thursday 16th May 2024 at 9:00pm on BBC4
  • Thursday 24th November 2022 at 10:40pm on BBC4
  • Thursday 4th February 2021 at 9:00pm on BBC4

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