Commissioned by his father-in-law to transform one of his stories into a 90-page screenplay, Charles has struggled for inspiration, much to the frustration of his beloved Ruth (Isla Fisher). While she’s advised by her tennis partner to find “someone else to shake her sheets” in order for their marriage to last, Charles confesses that “Big Ben has stopped chiming” because of his other worries. Desperate for any kind of remedy, a trip to the theatre gives him an idea. Despite watching medium Madame Arcati’s (Judi Dench) act go awry, Charles is convinced her nightly “transcendent miracles” of communicating with the other side has exciting dramatic potential.