The critics were divided over the Branagh Theate Company's version of The Entertainer.  The Guardian wasn't too keen but The Telegraph gave it four stars.  I enjoyed it quite a lot but had I paid £95 for a seat in the Garrick rather than £13.50 for a seat in the Cameo I might have been less generous because my engagement with the production tailed off a smidgeon or three in its final half-hour.

I thought Kenneth Branagh gave us a very good piece of work, as did the rest of the cast though I share The Guardian's reservations about Sophie McShera's high-pitched delivery.  Michael Billington writes enthusiastically about Olivier's definitive performance as Archie Rice.  I didn't see him play the part on the stage but I do remember admiring his screen portrayal.

These live broadcasts to cinemas are excellent.  I saw the National Theatre's Threepenny Opera recently and will see No Man's Land in January.  You may not get quite the same buzz as you would were you in the theatre but it's similar in that respect to watching sports on the telly.  One's interest and excitement is only marginally lessened.  I like them, and the seats in Screen 1 at the Cameo are a lot more comfortable than the seats I can afford to pay for in London's West End.

I got quite a buzz from El Clan.  This is the true story of kidnap and murder in the murky shifting tides of power and influence in Argentina in the 1980s by a pater familias and his sons.  I suppose it's fictionalised to some extent but certainly not romanticised.  The film has the pace and dynamism of a thriller, great performances and kept me gripped to the end.