“IF it moves, it’s rude,” was Vivian Van Damm’s golden rule.

Smart as a whip, the resourceful impresario exploited a loophole to evade censors and showcase his naked beauties at the Windmill Theatre. Since the authorities did not object to nude sculptures lining art galleries, his choir girls would pose as living statues. Except for a stray blink of the eye, the Windmill girls never shifted an inch.

Today, his shrewd stratagem is celebrated once more in a brand new musical adaption of the award-nominated movie Mrs Henderson Presents and his stage alter ego, Ian Bartholomew, is every bit as facetious and liberal as the legendary theatre manager.

At the mention of nudity he pledges a like-for-like experience for today’s spectators – with the same sass, artful displays and, of course, gender parity.

“Some of the girls get their kit off and some of the boys get their kit off too – we are an equal opportunity show,” he says, a deep belly laugh bubbling up. “It’s only flesh. They are naked but it’s all artfully done with the lighting. Just like it would have been at the time.”

Set in 1930s' London, the musical follows Laura Henderson, the owner of the Windmill, her feisty right-arm Van Damm and their plucky company of performers as they take on the Hun by ensuring that the spirits of London theatregoers never flag when the Blitz hits the capital.

Filling the rather large shoes of Bob Hoskins who played the show-business visionary in the original film would send many a seasoned actor running for the hills, but not Ian.

Firstly he knew Bob and, secondly, he has never seen as much as the trailer for the critically-lauded film. In short, he is blissfully ignorant of what came before him.

“I had wanted to see the film for ages but when I found out I was doing the show suddenly I thought I didn’t want be coloured by somebody else’s performance. I will watch it after the event, for curiosity’s sake.

“I knew Bob and he was a fantastic actor,” adds Ian who was nominated for an Olivier Award for his performance in Into The Woods (“I got a good dinner and good night out,” he adds breezily. “It was all very glitzy and glamorous and then you go home and have beans on toast.”) “He brought great warmth to anything he did. If I can emulate that in some way, I’m happy.”

Hoskins aside, Van Damm himself was a tough act to follow. In fact, the actor who recently appeared in the bard’s Richard III was more concerned about his credibility as the feted showman than the historic figure.

“He was a successful businessman, entrepreneur and impresario. He was approached by a man who later became the head of Warner films in Hollywood,” he gushes. “He is a great character.

“With Richard III, you deal with a historical figure everybody thinks they know. In reality, he was a lot less Machiavellian but with the victors come the spoils and the Tudors wrote the history. With Van Damm, some people who knew him are still alive so I have to be careful treading the line of being true to what I’m playing in the show but remain true to the real person.”

With the clock to curtain-up furiously ticking, time is running out to pin down the audacious producer.

“We’ve got the opportunity to get it right, or wrong, before the press night,” he quips.

Mrs Henderson Presents is on at the Theatre Royal, Bath from August 15 to September 5. To book go to www.theatreroyal.org.uk.