Quartet

Finances threaten Beecham House's closure, with the yearly Verdi Gala on Verdi's birthday serving as the only hope for survival. The plan centers on using the gala to attract funding and keep the retirement home open. Residents, led by Cedric, Wilf, and Reg, discuss strategies to save their home.

Cedric proposes to reunite the famous Rigoletto quartet to perform at the gala. He gathers Wilf, Cissy, and Reg to pitch the idea and test whether the group can still sing together after years apart. The plan hinges on reviving the quartet that defined the post-war era.

Reg confronts the reality that his former wife, Jean Horton, is the missing soprano from their celebrated Rigoletto recording and now lives at Beecham House. He feels betrayed that he wasn't warned or consulted about her presence. Their past relationship instantly complicates the plan.

Jean makes initial attempts to patch things up with Reg, but their conversations reveal past infidelities and marriages. Reg listens and slowly accepts that their history should remain in the past. The tension between them remains unresolved but less hostile.

Wilf persuades the Beecham House doctor to allow the residents a night out. Reg, Wilf, and Cissy seize the chance to invite Jean to dinner, hoping to set the stage for reconciliation and the quartet's reunion. The plan creates a delicate setup for the next events.

The trio invites Jean to dinner, believing past rifts can be mended. Jean arrives but is wary, firmly resisting the idea of singing again and storms out of the restaurant in anger. The emotional heat underscores the difficulty of reuniting the quartet.

The morning after, Cissy visits with flowers, only to become entangled in Jean's explosive temper, which worsens Cissy's senile condition. Jean, feeling remorse, encounters an old fling in the infirmary who convinces her to consider appearing at the Gala, even if only in a non-traditional capacity.

Jean apologizes to Cissy for her past behavior and is persuaded to sing in the Rigoletto quartet after learning that the other singers intend to perform together and potentially go last. The group is reassembled, and rehearsals begin in earnest.

With renewed energy, the residents rehearse the quartet and the gala numbers. The director is impressed by the enthusiasm and the forward momentum, and the home itself seems rejuvenated by their commitment.

As the quartet prepares to go on stage, Reg makes a final marriage proposal to Jean. She accepts, taking his hand as the audience awaits. The moment blends romance with the performance, signaling a hopeful future.

Each member enters to a rapturous reception, and the quartet delivers the performance that was once legendary. Reg and Jean walk on stage together, their bond restored as the audience erupts in applause. The gala succeeds, securing the home’s future.