Last night we visited the grand RIBA building 66 Portland Place to watch Playtime, the hilarious Jacques Tati film of 1967.

Playtime follows a day in the life of Monsieur Hulot, as he finds his way around a modernised-to-the-max Paris. Unexpectedly slapstick and beautifully shot, the film is packed with funny goings on. (So much in fact, I think I’ll need to watch it again.) Hulot and the other characters in the film are frequently foxed by grand expanses of glass, technology so advanced it’s users haven’t quite managed to get to grips with it and a society so speedy it’s citizens seem in a permanent spin.

Alice Rawsthorne added an extra layer of enjoyment by introducing the film, in her capacity as a self confessed Tati fanatic. She revealed that the film had almost ruined Tati and that it’s success was postumous – whilst Tati was alive Playtime achieved little box office success despite being France’s most expensive film made at the time.

Am off now to book tickets for the Office Space, the second in Disegno’s White Collar Tales series. (Will Wiles will introduce.) This one I’ve seen before and I enjoy it in a Ferris Bueller kind of way, so basically can watch it as many times as I like without getting tired of it. Watching it in the glamour of the RIBA theatre will be a treat.

The film nights are sponsored by Humanscale, hosted by RIBA and are part of the London Festival of Architecture.

Get your tickets HERE