Lion king

Last night we went to the theatre. It was a surprise treat organised for me by the lovely TOH.

I guessed we were going to see Billy Elliot but over an average meal of haddock kegeree he handed me tickets to The Lion King! I used to joke every time we went to London town that we were going to see The Lion King and we never did, basically because TOH never wanted to.

The theatre auditorium was covered with golden cherubs and painted scenes of general decadence. The 'royal boxes' either side of the stage were filled with bongos and congos and various percussion instruments. From our position in the upper circle the flautist looked peculiarly like my dad.

The show itself was visually stunning enough to mask its mediocre plot. The performances brilliantly disguised the sentimental Disney songs and limpid script. It was rather like an extremely family-friendly pantomime, slightly marred by the fact there were children actors in it.

Perfect if you had children of your own ... perhaps not the best thing for two cynical adults.

But it was a lovely night out, and a nice schoolnight treat.