Described as a bitter-sweet comedy, "And a Nightingale Sang" follows the experiences of a family in Newcastle during WWII.  The opening scene is the start of the war; the closing is the end. The highs and lows of life on the home front are shared through the tales of Helen, the eldest daughter as she and her family cope with life during the war.

The play's name is taken from a popular war-time song sung by Vera Lynn called "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square".