Cynthia, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I, becomes involved in a plot against the Spanish Armada — and in a romance with a young English agent.
In Fire Over England (1937), Vivien Leigh plays Cynthia, a lady-in-waiting at the court of Elizabeth I, played by Flora Robson. The film, set in the 1580s, follows England’s struggle against Spain, and Cynthia, who is in love with Michael Ingolby, played by Laurence Olivier, becomes part of a plan to uncover Spanish spies.
Leigh plays Cynthia with a youthful grace that was already distinctive. Her scenes with Olivier, who would later become her husband, are full of the chemistry that would make them one of the most famous couples in British theatre.
Fire Over England is an early showcase for Leigh, a historical adventure in which she already shows the poise and emotional clarity that would soon make her a star.