Ronald Harwood based his play "The Dresser", and this movie's subsequent screenplay, on the biography "Sir Donald Wolfit CBE: His life and work in the Unfashionable Theatre", and on his own experiences as an actor and dresser for renowned Shakespearian actor Donald Wolfit. Harwood's repertory ensemble, Shakespeare Company, frequently performed Shakespeare's plays, and Harwood was Wolfit's dresser between 1953 and 1958.
Sir (Albert Finney) was inspired by Sir Donald Wolfit, actually a "Sir" as he had been knighted. The character of "Sir" in this movie is only referred to by that title, and is never known by a name.
The original Broadway production of "The Dresser" by Ronald Harwood opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theater in New York City on November 9, 1981 and ran for two hundred performances until May 1, 1982. The production was nominated for the 1982 Tony Award for the Best Play. It starred Paul Rogers as Sir, Tom Courtenay as Norman and Marge Redmond as Madge. Courtenay repeated his role in the film.
This movie was released three years after its source play of the same name by playwright Ronald Harwood was first performed. Harwood also wrote the screenplay for this movie.
Although "Sir" was based on Sir Donald Wolfit, the action has been transplanted back in time to World War II, a time when the real Wolfit, so far from being an elderly actor, poor in health and prone to lapses in memory, was actually only about forty and at the height of his powers.