Thrombosis? Quite possibly, prime minister

It was my son's sixteenth birthday yesterday so, at his request, we went to see the new production of Yes, Prime Minister at the Guielgud Theatre in London. I didn't think it was as sharp as the TV series (it relied too much on farce) but I am in broad agreement with the Telegraph's review HERE. Everyone - including the Russian couple behind us - seemed to enjoy it.

My only complaint was the seating. The Gielgud is a lovely theatre but like most of London's Victorian/Edwardian theatres it was clearly built for people with very short legs. I'm average height (5' 10" on a good day) yet I was very uncomfortable. Goodness know how taller people manage. At the interval I had to move to a seat at the end of the row so I could stretch my legs.

Our tickets in the front row of the dress circle cost £52 each so it's not cheap when you take a family of four. Even "restricted view" tickets are in the region of £30 or so and who wants to be stuck behind a pillar?

Comfortable seats, underground parking facilities and a huge bar for those essential interval drinks are just three reasons why you can't beat the much maligned Barbican.

Update on Sunday, October 31, 2010 by Simon Clark

Oh, and I have just spent the evening watching The Godfather (Part I) because one of my son's other birthday requests was the complete box set. I hope it doesn't give him any ideas.