This is a fine adaptation of two one-act plays designed to make up an evening in the theatre. As a Rattigan devotee I have seen several different productions over the years and I was unable to detect any tampering with the original text; no attempt had been made to shatter the claustrophobic feel of the theatre productions and it was like a breath of fresh air after the recent travesty of The Deep Blue Sea by that darling of the BFI who thought he was qualified let alone capable of rewriting Rattigan. I'm indebted to a fellow film fan whom I know only via the internet who kindly copied this fairly elusive print for me and I thoroughly enjoyed this TV version which boasts some of the finest ensemble playing one is likely to see. Light years ahead of the mediocre Hollywood version albeit David Niven deserved his Oscar - but having said that he wasn't afforded the opportunity to offer his John Malcolm. This is highly recommended.
Review of Separate Tables
