Husband and I recently had a child-free day, so of course we went into central London. And as always, we packed in as much as possible. First dim sum, then The Wallace Collection, followed by an early dinner and a play in London’s West End. We had done some research online the night before and had narrowed it down to three possible plays. The next day we popped into Leicester Square and bought some last-minute tickets at one of the booths there. We were happy that we managed to get stall tickets for our first choice – Nell Gwynn.

If you’ve never heard of Nell Gwynn, she was one of the first English actresses, and one of the best-loved at the time (in the mid-1600s). She was also the mistress of King Charles II of England and Scotland. The minx. Gemma Arterton plays Nell, and what a wonderful job she does. She is full of sass and heart. The entire cast is brilliant, actually. Husband and I giggled and chortled throughout. There’s humour, bawdiness and some old-time jigs. Such a delight.

You can see Nell Gwynn at London’s Apollo Theatre until the 30th April 2016. The show runs for 2 1/2 hours, including an ice cream-break, I mean an interval. A perfect show whether it’s date-night or you’re out with your friends. But don’t go with your parents or in-laws – there’s a bit too much innuendo for that.

Photo credit: top photo, Simon Turtle