The Penguin Lessons

Friday 1st August 2.30pm and 7.30pm

This utterly charming blend of light comedy and even lighter drama offers a delightful variation on a familiar cinematic formula: the jaded schoolteacher rediscovering purpose in their craft from an unlikely source of inspiration.

In this case, British educator Tom Michell (expertly played by Steve Coogan) finds his teaching turbocharged by the accidental acquisition of a pet penguin.

Going by the name of Juan Salvador, this irresistibly charismatic little bird goes from surviving a gruesome oil spill to becoming the star attraction of Tom’s English class at an elite boys’ school in Argentina.

The mid-1970s setting of this tale provides some serious substance to proceedings, as Tom’s renewed enthusiasm for his work also opens his eyes to the dangerous influence of the military dictatorship ruling Argentina back then. Co-stars Jonathan Pryce.