Well, this was a busy week: I was out-and-about for three nights running. I started on Thursday with 'Involution' at the Pacific Playhouse, on Southwark Bridge Road, followed on Wednesday with 'The Cherry Orchard" at the local Little Theatre, and finishing with a recital by the local concert band and choir in a local church. All for less than £20! You wouldn't get that Up West.

Involution, at the Pacific Playhouse

The Pacific Playhouse is up an alleyway in Southwark Bridge Road. The alleyway is called 'Playhouse Court', with proper signs showing its borough and postcode, but it's still an alleyway. Having now been to several productions in this neighbourhood, I'm toying with the possibility that there is a small theatre up every alleyway here.

As the audience got seated, there were a lot of young people, as well as the usual gang of old fogies like me. I guess that's a good thing.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the performance, although I'm not sure that plays like this are meant to be 'enjoyed'. It had chosen a (slightly) science-fiction setting to support its polemic, and it hung together very well, if one concentrated (it did strike me, none-to-seriously, at one point, that CONvolution might be a better title). Of course, underneath, it was the usual boy-meets-girl-boy-gets-girl-boy-loses-girl, although this boy seemed especially careless with the number of girls he lost: perhaps he was too concerned with his polemic.

So what I got was a multi-layered, thought-provoking evening in a grotty bedsit - quite took me back to my student days. Plus, there was a truly delightful character study of a robot (don't ask - go and see it for yourself).

The Cherry Orchard, at the Bob Hope Theatre

It is, or must be, many decades since I was last here, because I don't remember the raked seating. I remember rows of bauhaus chairs and radiant gas heaters hanging from the rafters. But this must now be one of the finest fitted-out Little Theatres in the land. An absolutely splendid venue. And there is a fine bar, which serves hot mulled wine, on draught, from some complicated-looking tap. But it's still Lent.

Little theatres seem to have a friendship pact between the audience and the cast which is of great value, and a pleasure to be part of, and this was no exception. It makes for a pleasant and comfortable evening. Blowing rasberries is not on the agenda. But it was a good production, and thecast were very competent.

I've never been much of a one for Chekhov, but I don't remember The Cherry Orchard being played for laughs, like this production was. But "You'd have to have a heart of stone ... " as Oscar Wilde once said, although he did have something like the sound of chopping from the cherry orchard in mind when he said it.

But the real reason I came to this production, other than it being just across the road, is that I'm already booked to see The Cherry Orchard next week (in a pub in Kentish town), so this unusual opportunity to make some comparisons was irresistible.

The Greenwich Concert Band and Community Choir, Eltham Holy Trinity Church

This band consists substantially of drinking acquaintances, and so, much to my surprise, does the choir. So any hint of criticism will leave me ostracised for weeks. But none is necessary. A really pleasant evening listening to friends doing well. I usually only see the band in the garden of the Bull in August, and at the Town Hall carols at christmas, where they are more peripheral to my entertainment, so it was nice to have an opportunity to just listen to them. They're really good! Fancy all those people sitting around in the pub getting together and doing this.

As for the choir, they were good too. I usually only encounter members of the choir for the purposes of chatting-up at parties, which is one of my principal entertainments, so it was nice to be reminded that they have a full and active social life when they're not hanging, devotedly, on my every word.. Unlike the lady robot in 'Involution', which got switched off when not in use.

The only serious criticism I reserve for the programme abusers I sat beside. There were no programmes left when I arrived, mainly, I think, because the place was packed. Since I was on my own, I thought it would be easy just to find a single seat beside people with a programme. Then I could sneak a peek every time they looked. And do you know, every single person around me had a program, and not one of them looked at it, even once. Fortunately, I recognised most of the program.