Alan Cumming and 'The Real Cabaret'

I've enjoyed watching a documentary featuring Alan Cumming on BBC4 tonight, 'The Real Cabaret'. It looks at the background to the 'Cabaret' film and show, travelling back to the Weimar cabaret scene of the '30s, rare film footage of Christopher Isherwood talking about the 'real' Sally Bowles, interviews with John Kander and Liza Minnelli.

Alan played the MC in 'Cabaret' on stage in London and New York so he went in search of the real MCs in the '30s and cabaret in modern Berlin (we see a bog-standard drag act miming to Kate Bush). It also included rather sad footage of cabaret artists performing in the concentration camps - performers to the bitter end. Alan makes a good job of presenting it so, if you get the chance, try to see it.

'What good is sitting all alone in your room?'