TIM Robbins has rounded up a fine ensemble cast to tell the story of Orson Welles' attempts in the Thirties to stage a production of Marc Blitztein's ground-breaking musical The Cradle will Rock through the Federal Theatre project, a company seen by some, as a breeding ground for Communist leanings.

Robbins interweaves a social commentary about the post-Depression period in which this theatre project is set, tossing in questions of artistic freedom and the corruptability of all involved. It's an ambitious work, slowish in pace, that grips you certainly before you reach the stirring final scenes.

Fine performances all-round, particularly from Cary Elwes and Hanz Azaria, mean you can forgive Susan Sarandon's dodgy accent and Angus MacFadyen's talking point portrayal of a drunkenly boisterous Orson Welles.