An extra-ordinary evening last night! My ladyfriend had got tickets for The Canterville Ghost (a ballet!) (in Wimbledon!!). It turned out to be a star-studded evening of unexpected drama.

Walking up to the theatre I spotted GMTV's Andrew Castle drinking on the balcony. As a former pro tennis player that didn't seem so unlikely in Wimbledon. It wasn't till I nearly crashed into Jane Asher and Gerald Scarfe in the foyer that I thought something was up.

Taking our seats I spotted Celebrity Wrestling's Toby Anstis in the same row as the ever-fragrant newsreader and daughter of an exiled South African economics professor Natasha Kaplinski. A few rows behind them was Paul O'Grady - Mr Lily Savage to you or me.

By the interval I was getting celeb-induced giddyness. I'm 80% certain the one and only Rageh Omaar walked past me, with his "come to Baghdad eyes" (copyright Viz Magazine), oh - and his daughter. Alex James out of Blur appeared at the end of the row as we were retaking our seats and it was only then that I could confirm that the woman sitting behind my ladyfriend was that great Dame of the theatre: Dame Kelly Holmes! Dame Kelly! One of my honest-to-goodness actual heroes. My cup runneth over.

But the drama wasn't just offstage. Early on in the second half the curtain suddenly fell. The show was either taking an entirely unpredicted avant-garde turn or something was up. And up it was. Moments later a rather ashen-faced man appeared from behind the curtain, passed up the opportunity for some Eric Morecambe-style curtain shenanigans (fool!) and explained that the leading man had severly damaged his foot and couldn't dance. But never fear! The understudy was at that moment in a taxi on his way to the theatre to save the day.

Would you Adam an' Eve it.

So we waited. Some people headed off. Dame Kelly nobly loitered for a while but eventually explained that she had to get back to Kent and, excuse made, she left. There was no sign of Paul O'Grady either but it later transpired that his gentleman friend was the injured dancer so he had gone to offer succour. Insert your own joke there if you must.

Well the understudy arrived and recieved a rapturous response as the ballet recommenced. Not really understanding the point of ballet I don't know what to say about the production, but I did enjoy the second half in particular.

It was only having left the theatre that the evening reached it's showbiz apogee. I was talking in the pub across the road to a charming American actress who had appeared in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, like you do, when I was told of an amazing sight in the foyer. I went to inspect and I wasn't let down. There was Simon Le Bon chatting away like old friends with the legend that is June Whitfield.

Blimey