In 1939, Haydn Powell returns to his native Pontypridd as a star for the summer season. It is his dream come true, but is soon soured when he finds his family divided. Haydn seeks consolation with the theatre crowd, but is also drawn to Jane, a young waif lodging with his family. But Jane is haunted by poverty and burdened by bitter secrets. Then there is Haydn's childhood sweetheart, Jenny, who is determined to win him back. She tries to make him jealous by flirting with his brother, the hot-headed boxer Eddie. But it is Jenny's reckless pursuit of her own ends that creates a dangerous tension in a town already braced for war ...