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.
Sir Tom Courtenay and Albert Finney came from the north of England. Both of their careers as actors had emerged during the 1960s, particularly in the British "kitchen sink"/"angry young man" melodramas of the period. Ironically, the two hardly knew each other.
One of the posters for this movie featured a long preamble that read: "Tom Courtenay is The Dresser. The wardrobe man devoted to the Star. Albert Finney is The Star. The actor devoted to himself. The story is about their friendship. The tears. The heartbreaks. The joys. The fears. The devotion. The dreams . . . What happens backstage is always pure drama. And often pure comedy".