The Strange Case of Penny Allison

Imelda Staunton and Hugh Laurie as you've not quite seen them before: in a comedy training video for Britain’s National Blood Service.

Is this where Hugh Laurie, pre-House, acquired the taste for playing medics? Laurie co-stars with Imelda Staunton in this well-made training film for the National Blood Service. Both play multiple parts in a comedy-of-errors ensuring staff get the deadly serious message while feeling entertained rather than merely instructed.

Director Paul Katis is one of the fine filmmaking talents, too often unsung, whose skills have enriched Britain's corporate film sector (itself much undervalued). In 2014, Katis made the transition into feature film, directing the gripping, highly regarded war film Kajaki: The True Story (also available on BFI Player). Acclaiming it as an impressive debut, not many reviewers realised it had benefited from Katis' long experience making excellent training films, many for the armed forces or on health and safety topics.