The London trip this time had nothing to do with shopping, but everything to do with seeing shows. So, other than quick trips to "Murder One" (where we picked up a couple of Agatha Christie collections, because it is important to support your independent book sellers) and "Fortnum And Mason" (where we picked up fancy morello cherry jam, cakey cakes and some Lucifer Ginger and Chilli biscuits, because it is important to indulge your inner snob), we bought nothing at all except theatre tickets and the odd restaurant meal.

The theatre experiences were mixed.

"Absurd Person Singular" at the Garrick Theatre.

"Absurd Person Singular" is an old Alan Ayckbourn play from 1972, dealing with the changing fortunes of three married couples over three subsequent Christmas'.

Going to see this play was Jennifer's choice. I felt it was dated, awful rubbish. I was so bored I actually dozed off a couple of times, which is quite unusual for me in a theatre. Very middle class material, very old fashioned material, very not the kind of thing I would consider spending even a second watching if it turned up on the TV schedules.

It has a cast full of familiar names, and not a bad cast, truth be told. Jane Horrocks couldn't make it due to some kind of indisposition, so the understudy Kerry Owen substituted. David Bamber, David Horovitch, Jenny Seagrove, John Gordon Sinclair and Lia Williams were all present and correct, and acting exactly as expected.

Not my kind of thing, but Jennifer said she enjoyed it and that's all that really mattered.

"Speed The Plow" at the Old Vic.

On the verge of striking a deal to make a typical, empty Hollywood blockbuster, two Hollywood producers are in self congratulatory mood. A temporary secretary causes one of the producers to doubt himself. What will he choose? Commerce or art?

I got the tickets for this play as one of Jennifer's Birthday presents. Good money well spent, if you ask me. What I had seen of David Mamet's work onscreen before now I had really enjoyed. As I had never seen any Mamet onstage before, the chances are that I may well have tried to get tickets for this production anyway as we have more or less enjoyed everything we have seen at the Old Vic. The fact that it starred very on-form Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum, and Mary Poppins star Laura Michelle Kelly, was just gravy, frankly.

Except for a dip in the middle section, when the energy level drops somewhat, I thought that "Speed The Plow" was a very sharp, very good production indeed. A fast, finger clicking, energetic, rhythmic and really funny play. I have seen Kevin Spacey onstage a couple of times now and honestly he has never been better. Just a dynamo of energy. Jeff Goldblum is incredibly tall, incredibly thin and weirdly edgy. I have always thought that he is a supreme character actor and in this production he bounces of Kevin Spacey perfectly. A word about Laura Michelle Kelly who is also very good as the temporary secretary Karen. I read that Madonna created the part on Broadway. I suppose that anybody who plays a role must bring something to it of their own persona. I am convinced that Madonna was miscast. Karen is an innocent, a sincere and honest person. Or is she? There is doubt. Maybe casting Mary Poppins was the right way to go?

I am not surprised at all that "Speed The Plow" is playing to a full houses every performance. It is a great production. I would thoroughly recommend it.

I will write about "The Lover/The Collection" tomorrow. I am being called to come and eat.