Last Saturday night, selected Picturehouse cinemas offered Almodovar fans the opportunity to watch the acclaimed director in an exclusive Q&A, live via satellite, before enjoying on the big screen 1988 Spanish comedy classic Women on the Verge of A Nervous Breakdown. Tickets for the West End stage adaptation are currently on sale, but knowing the whole event was a shameless plug didn’t mar my enjoyment.

The stylised black-comedy farce follows the intertwined antics of Pepa – hot-blooded heart-broken voice-over actress, Candela – her suicidal model friend who has inadvertently become wrapped up in a terrorist plot, Marisa – the moody girlfriend of Pepa’s ex-lover’s son, and Lucia – the ex-lover’s ex-wife recently released from an epic asylum stint. Add flavours of Madrid, giant telephones, tower block residing chickens and a striking period wardrobe. read more