A demobbed soldier, Gordon Laid, returning from World War II meets Maxine Lupercal, a member of a traveling troupe of actors returning to England on the same ship. As Gordon closely resembles a member of the troupe of actors, mistaken identity causes him to become embroiled in various murders and an international espionage plot involving a cigarette lighter that strangely affects electricity. The action reaches its comical climax on stage with Gordon and his double as the spies and the police converge on the theatre is a desperate attempt to retrieve the missing cigarette lighter.

Paul Martin (Kier) is a paranoid novelist who rents out a secluded cottage in the British countryside in order to complete his new book, a pretentious sex romp. He has split with his girlfriend Suzanne (Richmond) and is having problems writing his book. To do the typing for him, he employs a secretary, Linda Hindstatt (Hayden), whom he meets at the railway station. A couple of youths at the railway station intimidate Linda, prompting Paul to give them a battering. Afterwards, Linda takes a walk in a field where she is raped by the youths. As a result, she shoots them both dead. Meanwhile, Paul keeps having nightmares and all his advances on Linda are rejected. He gets Suzanne to come back and she begins having sex with Linda. Paul then crashes into a river, while Suzanne is murdered in the bathtub and everything erupts into a pandemonium of violence.