The NT Live website was not as helpful as it could be in showing me possible dates for local cinemas as it was missing the dates for Curzon Richmond that were on their site. To be sure it was on I took the unusual step of booking in person. The confusion helped me because while other cinemas I had checked had all but sold out this one had sold very few seats and I was able to go for on in the primary position, F11 for £19.5.
I have mixed feelings about seeing films of staged plays as the two media are significantly different but in this case I was glad I had gone for the screen rather than the stage as the play was mostly three talking heads and so the ability to zoom in on the speakers was very useful.
Those three heads were David Tennant as John Halder, a German professor, Elliot Levey as his Jewish friend and Sharon Small as several women in his life including his senile mother.
The story, a fairly simple one, showed how John Halder, a good man, gradually got dragged into Naziism and how he rationalised his decisions along the way, including the abandonment of his friend.
Of course there was a lot more to it than that and the story two engrossing hours to tell.
Obviously the key message was to show how easy it was for a good man to become engulfed in evil but the darker message was to compare the first steps with what is happening in Britain today. When Gary Linekar, and many other, point out the similarity between us and 1930's Germany they are exactly right.
All three actors were very good and Sharon Small impressed most because of the different rolls she played.
I am still not convinced on films of staged plays but I will keep giving them ago when it lets me see shows like this at a reasonable price.
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