Last night went to see a terrific actor on stage in a dear little intimate theater where I couldn't have asked to be much closer to him. It wasn't a play, or even the readings from his new biography that I thought was on the cards. It was just him on stage for 100 minutes or so without break telling us the life story of a long dead writer who had inspired him.

With no props (except a table on which a glass and a bottle of water stood) he kept us spellbound not so much with an interesting story - although it was that - but with his presence and manner and wit and words. It was entrancing.

I can't work out whether he's inspired me more to Write something or take up a life on the stage!