Shelley's mother arrives unexpectedly, under the impression Shelley's playing Ophelia at the Palladium when in fact the only part could land was that of a singing tadpole at a grammar school. After learning the truth about her daughter's failure to make it as an actress, Mrs DuPont uses the persuasive power of chocolate to try to coax her into returning to Beverly Hills to marry a dull liver manufacturer. Determined to prove her talents, Shelley crashes a Royal Shakespeare Company production of ""The Importance of Being Earnest"" and literally steals the show.