Elisabeth is a 32-year-old casual-contract art history lecturer living in London. She endures the fractured, hostile political environment of post-Brexit Britain while visiting her 101-year-old former neighbor, Daniel, at The Maltings Care Providers plc. Highly intellectual and curious, she struggles with bureaucratic absurdities and seeks solace in literature, dedicating her academic work to a forgotten British pop artist.

Daniel is a 101-year-old former songwriter and Elisabeth's beloved childhood neighbor, currently lying unresponsive in an extended sleep period at a care home. His active consciousness drifts through decades of vivid memories, historical events, and dreamlike sequences. He serves as an eccentric, playful mentor who teaches a young Elisabeth to question established narratives and view the world through a creative lens.

Wendy is Elisabeth's mother, initially characterized by her exasperation with the state of the world and her suspicion regarding her daughter's unconventional friendship with an older man. Living in a small village split by political tensions, she expresses deep exhaustion with public hostility. She finds distraction by appearing on the antiques television show *The Golden Gavel*.

Pauline is a real-life historical figure and the only major female artist of the 1960s British pop-art movement. Her joyful, politically potent artwork celebrates female sexuality and critiques a male-dominated society. Although deceased and largely forgotten by the artistic establishment, her legacy shapes Daniel's perspective on the world and becomes the central focus of Elisabeth's academic career.

Zoe is a former child actor and current psychoanalyst who becomes a spirited, warm presence in Wendy's life. She shares Wendy's sense of humor and provides a spark of joy during the bleak political climate. Her easygoing nature allows her to quickly build a friendly rapport with Elisabeth.

Hannah is Daniel's younger sister, appearing primarily in his fragmented memories and visions. She is exceptionally intelligent and brave, demonstrating a sharp wit when deconstructing Daniel's childhood stories, and showing quiet defiance during a World War II arrest.

Christine is a historical figure central to the 1963 Profumo Affair, recalled through Daniel's memories and Pauline Boty's artwork. Often reduced to a simplistic femme fatale in public memory, she is depicted with a more complex background of vulnerability and exposure to systemic cruelty.

Stephen is a socialite osteopath and portraitist involved in the Profumo Affair. Daniel remembers observing his trial, where he faced charges and became a scapegoat for the British establishment.

Miss Ricardo is a witness in the 1960s trial who attempts to recant her police statement, claiming she was coerced by officers who threatened her family. In Daniel's imagination, she transforms into a tree in the witness box.

Anthony is an art historian who purchases and subsequently destroys all of Stephen Ward's portraits of the British elite from an exhibition to protect the establishment's reputation.

Mark is a teenage boy who shares a brief relationship with a young Elisabeth. They share a kiss, but she eventually tells him that her heart is already taken by someone else in a non-physical way.

Marielle is a college student who has a physical relationship with Elisabeth. Their connection ends when Marielle wants a deeper commitment that Elisabeth is unable to provide.

Tom is Elisabeth's boyfriend for six years. Their long-term relationship is affected by Elisabeth's deep, overriding emotional connection to her childhood neighbor, Daniel.