Matt Smith as Christopher Isherwood and Douglas Booth as Heinz

IT begins in the Los Angeles of 1976 as Christopher Isherwood types out his autobiography.

Before taking us to Berlin in the 1930s.

Matt Smith was at BAFTA in London last night – both in person and on the big screen – for a preview of Christopher And His Kind.

Douglas Booth as Boy George

“DON’T lean on the pillar. It’s not real,” warns producer Matthew Bird.

Set visits are often surreal affairs, whether in a studio or out on location.

The mix of reality and make-believe can be striking when you’re standing behind the cameras.

As witnessed yet again back in February when I travelled to Salford to interview the cast of new BBC2 drama Worried About The Boy.

The one-off film – screened this Sunday – tells the story of the young Boy George from school days to Top Of The Pops.