I am a camera

"I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking. Recording the man shaving at the window opposite and the woman in the kimono washing her hair. Some day, all this will have to be developed, carefully printed, fixed."

This is one of the memorable lines from a fantastic play I saw on friday night by John Van Druten, inspired by Christopher Isherwood's Berlin novel. It is showing at the wonderful small theatre above the Rosemary Branch pub along the canal from my flat. 

still from the film I am a Camera

It was a funny and poignant portrayal of two close friends trying to make sense of being artists in Berlin against the backdrop of the rise in fascism. The lead character who was the inspiration for Sally Bowles in Caberet is a crazy, drunken unsuccessful cabaret singer, jumping from rich guy to richer guys, buzzing with energy and overenthusiastic gushing. She's like a more wild, less good looking Holly Golightly. Someone you'd like to throw a decadent party with.

Cabaret

Catch it before it whirls off the stage. Its a great night out with brilliant performances from the whole cast.