Spotted: Mel Giedroyc

When: Monday night
Where: Comedy Theatre, watching Birdsong

The lovely presenter of The Great British Bake Off was at the theatre on Monday night, watching Birdsong.

I spotted Mel in the queue for the always-confusing ladies at the Comedy Theatre (queues to left and right? Blind corners with more loos hiding behind them? Mirrors that make you look like death? They're all in there...)

Mel was looking punkier than her British Bake Off image, with spikier hair, and maybe sporting some leopard print?

Last time I saw her in a theatre, she was giving an absolutely stunning performance in EUROBEAT: Almost Eurovision! at the Novello Theatre. She was brrrrilliant.

Birdsong was less good. Much longer, far fewer laughs(!), and left me strangely lacking in emotion, despite being about one of the saddest things in the world: trench warfare and WWI. Read my Birdsong review here on londonist.

Image from an orange blog on GBBO

Spotted: Tim McMullan

When: Saturday night
Where: Novello Theatre

I'm always pleased to see actors in a theatre. Particularly when its not press night, and they're clearly there because they love what they do.

Tim McMullan, who I've seen playing the melancholy Jaques at The Globe and in Martin Crimp's The Misanthrope in the last couple of years, was in the row in front of us at the Novello on Saturday. We were seeing A Disappearing Number. (More on that to follow, I hope.)

Tim looked brilliantly unstarry. Jeans, converse trainers, and a nicely dishevelled lineny jacket. I'm guessing he was there with his wife or girlfriend, and they made a cool-looking couple.

Hope they enjoyed the show as much as me.

Spotted: Darius Campbell (formerly Danesh)

When: last night
Where: Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

I've spotted a fair few "faces" at Regent's Park in the past.

And while at this year's Shakespeare performance (The Comedy of Errors) there were fewer than at Hello, Dolly! last year's award-winning musical, A and I were lucky enough to spot the lovely Darius, plus bird, enjoying the summer warmth, and a fantastic show.

I wasn't around for Darius' X-pop-factor-idol TV appearances. He wasn't really on my radar when he was in the charts. But I did see him shine in that dreadful Gone With The Wind (he was the best thing about it), and A is always really nice about him, saying he's a good bloke, and v professional.

Having worked with him in the past, A was tempted to go and say hi. But he was a long way away, and we didn't really fancy interrupting his night out.

We did see him being pestered for an autograph as we left.

Spotted: Clive Owen (and then some...)

When: last night
Where: Jerusalem at the Apollo Theatre

I had a fantastic time last night, in the main because JC was able to come with me for a change. And we had a great meal before we even got to the theatre.

And then there was the celeb spotting. JC was really enjoying looking around the audience, saying, "oh, that's... that's... oh, whatsisname..." And, for once, my brain kicked into gear, and I said, "Clive Owen?" and got a "Don't be ridicu... oh, it's Clive Owen," back from JC.

But Clive wasn't the only one. Sure, he might've been the biggest name there, in Hollywood terms (even though I can't stand the way he talks with the back of his mouth), but there was more than just Clive Owen in the audience at last night's masterpiece.

We also saw Felicity Kendal, Ben Miller and Nigel Planer.

Jerusalem itself was mind-blowing. There'll be more said on the topic, you mark my words...

And of course, this isn't the only time I've been in the audience with Miss Kendal recently. It seems she likes following me to shows.

The press night of Enron at the Noel Coward in the West End was one of my biggest celebrity spotting hauls to date. (Again, I reviewed it for londonist.) I'm pretty sure my friend Felicity was there, but so too were John Simm, Frank Skinner, David Dimbleby, AA Gill, Cillian Murphy, Monkee Micky Dolenz (nice hat) and Benedict Cumberbatch. Crazy, n'est pas?

Not only that, but on the same row as me were Charles Dance and Lindsay Duncan. "Charlie," as one of the ferociously annoying bright-young-things in front of me called him, was attending the after-show party. I can't speak for the others, but I'm sure they were all there.

Best of all was Rupert Goold. Sure, he'd won an award for Enron earlier that day. But did he have to arrive later than everyone else, and take his seat in the middle of a row, in the middle of the stalls, waving, air kissing, and shaking hands with everyone around him?! It was the most theatrical entrance I've ever seen a member of the audience achieve. Even counting the seemingly drunk Su Pollard at the Open Air Theatre in the summer. Pretty impressive.

It's been a surprisingly star-spangled start to the year. Long may it continue.

Spotted: Miranda Sawyer

When: last night
Where: Ritzy, Brixton

Last night when I went to see An Education with CT and CB, Miranda Sawyer, ace journo and all-round brilliant person was seeing the same film.

I refrained from running up to her and shouting "I think you're fab" in her face, instead, pointed her out to the others. Short-sighted CB said she wasn't sure she knew what she looked like, altho she recognised the name. Some people just don't know their Smash Hits / Select / Time Out / Mixmag history. Cuh.

Miranda was on the Culture Show tonight, interviewing a frankly terrifying-seeming author from the States. I thought she did it all brilliantly as usual. It's all the more satisfying that she seems to live within walking distance of the Ritzy in Brixton, cos she and her blokey set off past my bus stop on their way home. Hurrah for this pocket of South London.

An Education was good, but not amazing, I guess. I liked it, but I didn't love it. It was a great snapshot of that moment, in that year (1962), definitely the 60s, but a pre-Beatles 60s. Dominic and Ros Pike were cool as the two mates of the slightly creepy David, and I think newbie Carey Mulligan was really good.

But there were a few things that jarred for me. I wasn't sure about the timeliness of cigarettes with filters (actually, a little research shows they are correct), Jenny's suddenly pierced ears, the flatness of Jenny's schoolmates - were none of them clever or interesting (I was horrified that bloody Ellie Kendrick might be in it a whole lot more), her caricature father played by Alfred Molina, and the English department of Oxford (?!) offering her a place...

And the final song? Man, as far as I'm aware, there were some pretty cool tunes recorded in the 60s, right? Some of them were even by women. And some of them were about being hurt by sleazy men. So why on earth, after all that period accuracy of cars, dresses, hats, sunglasses, tea-sets and the rest, did we have to listen to Duffy at the end? Please.

But it wasn't bad, and it was certainly nice going to the cinema again after all this time. (The torturous Disney's A Christmas Carol 3D effort really doesn't count.)

Spotted: Jamie Theakston and Johnny Vaughan

When: Ten to 10 this morning
Where: coming out of Leicester Square

On my way to the BFI London Film Festival launch in a sunny, slightly autumnal Leicester Square this morning, I spotted a familiar (if older) face: Mensa member Jamie Theakston leaving the Capital Radio builing, with a huge box under his arm...

"Oi, Theako!" shouted a voice from behind him. (I can't promise 100% that this is what he said, but it kinda sounded like it.) There was Mr Vaughan, looking balder than ever (sigh), trotting along to catch up with his colleague...

It's been a while since I've seen Johnny, what with no longer being his neighbour, and therefore able to spot him out walking his hound :-(

The BFI London Film Festival launch was as inspiring and frustrating as usual. I want to see more films. Not more films in 10-20 second clips; more WHOLE films.

Here's my write-up of the launch on londonist

Spotted: Mark Rylance

When: last night
Where: Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, one of my favourite places on earth

Mr Rylance, former artistic director of the aformentioned esteemed establishment popped up in the audience last night. I hope he enjoyed himself.

He was wearing a rather jaunty black pork-pie hat, with a white band around it. Made me worry momentarily whether he was a) Justin Timberlake or b)... but hey.

CB admitted she's had rather a crush on him since his star turn in Jerusalem. I've always thought he was pretty great; perhaps I'll get to see him on stage soon; he's in Complicite's new Beckett thing...

The show was good, not amazing. I really enjoyed the performances; I'm just not convinced the play was quite good enough. Trevor Griffiths, also in the audience last night, has created a great script, line-by-line, but I needed a bit more of a dramatic curve to keep me going over the three hours.

Then if you call your new piece "A life...", you're going yourself into to get some tricky structural problems, I guess.

You can read my londonist review of A New World - A Life of Thomas Paine here.

Spotted: Theatre Stars Galore at the Open Air Theatre

There was a host of just-about familiar faces at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre last night.

So many, in fact, that I stuck them all in a VL blog post on the subject:

1. Natalie Casey
2. Desmond Barrit
3. Nigel Cooke
4. Clive Rowe

It's an odd mixture, isn't it? I'm sure there were far more actors in the crowd; it seems they like the Open Air Theatre. Last time we were there, watching the very brilliant Much Ado About Nothing, A and I witnessed much drunken hilarity from someone who looked very much like Su Pollard... but we couldn't be sure.

Did they enjoy Hello, Dolly! as much as my sister and I did?

I doubt it.

(You can read my pretty restrained londonist review of the show here.)

Spotted: John Inverdale

When: last night
Where: The Alma, one of London's greatest locals

"In The Alma," read JC's text. "Standing next to John Inverdale."

Of course they were.

So much more satisfying than our current, true "you can see it from the kitchen window" local The East Hill, The Alma is one of my favourite pubs in London. Great vibe, gorgeous central bar, lovely antiquey-feel decor, it's just an all-round lovely pub.

John Inverdale obviously thinks so too! He was standing by the bar, right next to JC, TT and AF, watching England lose the Twenty20 (damn that Broad bloke and his dodgy fielding) with a lovely looking ladyfriend. She was wearing the most magnificent red patent shoes.

We thought about texting CD so he could tell his mum, but didn't in the end.

Spotted: Michael Ball (?)

When: today, lunchtime
Where: Thomas Neal Centre, Seven Dials

OK, so I can't say I'm 100% sure I saw the heart-stoppingly brilliant Michael Ball today while I was eating my lunch. But I'm almost positive, so here goes.

I've cut enough images of the Ball's wonderfully rotund, cheeky, dimpled visage to recognise it as it sails past me on a shoe shopping jaunt.

I've listened to enough of his unique, sweet, moving, dulcet tones (really, really enough) to be attuned to the sound as he sing-songs to his tanned, blonde, male companion, "I just want to look in Size?" (Their question mark, not Michael's. Not mine.)

I was totally star-struck. Breathless. Shocked.

This is the man I spend an inordinate amount of time listening to on my ipod at work. On the train. In Sainsbury's. Listening to Michael Ball is my guilty pleasure. This is the guy I duet with whenever JC's out of the house. For me, you can forget Russell Watson: MB is The Voice.

I'm on my own. I've been talking to strangers all morning in the queue for the Donmar, surely I could go and, well, talk to him.

Contemplating my very tasty veggie pie from Progreso, I realise I'm probably not going to give up on my lunch to see if it really is him. Firstly, I'm sure it is. Secondly, I have nothing to say.

"Ahem, you were great in Kismet".
Not his greatest moment.
"Err, your version of Empty Chairs and Empty Tables can make me cry".
Move away from the stalker.
"Hi, I remember you from Opportunity Knocks".
Is this even true? Do I remember him from some Saturday night talent show from years and years ago, or is this just my imagination?

Some people are best left on ipods and on stage.

Besides, I'm sad to say, if it really was him, he needs to, shall we say, dress a little more "his age." To avoid a sort of muttony-male look. Just saying.

Spotted: Claire Skinner

When: Sunday late pm
Where: on the Northern Line, going south

I like seeing famous people on the Tube. Particularly when I've been watching them on TV only recently.

Claire Skinner, the mum from Outnumbered, had been doing her acting thing only days earlier, as part of Comic Relief.

So it was nice to see her looking dead ordinary (although she is terribly skinny) in real life getting on the northern line w herman at Highgate, heading south, and reading a supplement from a weekend paper, like me.

I didn't see where they got off.

Spotted: Jane Horrocks

When: 7.14
Where: Young Vic

It wasn't a 7.30 start at last night's King Lear, oh no. 7.15 I needed to be on The Cut. And it was still really snowy and icy on the pavements. And I was running late, as usual.

Grabbing my press ticket, attempting some niceties with the PR people, I rushed to the door. General Admission; I'd been warned the press seats might no longer be available.

In front of me, a petite blonde with her mate was also flapping over the awkward timings, and the potential of missing a good seat. I knew it was Jane Horrocks from her profile. No idea why; perhaps I was just on celeb alert last night. When I made a little quip about being late, she turned and stared really pointedly at me. "Do I know you? Should I know you? Do you know me?" her stare seemed to ask. When it became clear the answer was no, she carried on with her friend.

The girl ushering took my ticket after theirs and ripped through it. Weirdly, she then handed me back two pieces of paper: my ticket, and Jane Horrocks' booking receipt, complete with address.

She lives in Twickenham.

Spotted: Robert Glenister

When: 9.35am
Where: On the down escalator in London Bridge Station

Yes, Hustle's ugliest swindler was using the same tube station as me this morning.

I wasn't sure if he was Philip or Robert, but a little googling revealed he was the latter.

Head down, clutching what I would describe as an "attache case", but is probably one of those leather pocket document holder thingys without handles, just perfect for scripts, CVs and keeping your chest warm, with a "I'm going somewhere important, don't recognise me" expression on his face.

LK, owner of many a random crush, was jealous.

Sir Michael Caine

And here's the results of the 4 minutes, 30 seconds of tape I got from the guy.

It was late by the time I was able to get my 4min 30secs. About 10pm. Sir Mike (as TG and I have been calling him) had already spoken to a radio station (Capital?), the Standard and London TV. LTV had also been filming the whole of the Standard interview. So, what with the large TV camera and all the questions, Sir Mike was already getting a little bored of all the slightly awkward journo attention, I could tell.

I really didn't want LTV to film me talking to him.

Luckily, LTV packed up their camera just before I was introduced to the man, otherwise, I'd've been fairly distracted by the fact that three or four of my colleagues were hanging around watching me, and filming me "work".

In the end, it was fine. Fun, even. Trying to make him laugh a bit, while keeping going with the questions, and hoping he wouldn't get annoyed, or bored. Which is what I suppose it's like talking to most people who are famous.

He talks in soundbites. He almost talks in SEO keywords. One sentence at a time. One word answers, almost. If I asked him for a reason, or to elaborate he'd give me one more sentence, then stop. Nothing extra, noting wasted, nothing superfluous. If he's media trained, it's from a time when 4 minutes 30 seconds is long enough to get exactly what you want out of an interviewee.

It turned out to be one of the quickest, easiest write-ups ever.

On another note, I didn't get a picture with him.

Opinion is divided on the issue: my Mum was extremely disappointed. A couple of people at work were surprised.

JC thinks I did the right thing: "You're either a fan, or you're working, a professional journalist."

I'm glad JC said that. I'd watched the photographers and the guy from the Standard pushing themselves and their cameras this way and that to get a shot with him, and I just felt a bit uncomfortable. I'd already taken a chunk of this guy's evening; why should I get any more? Plus, I was working.

Celeb Excitement: Sir Michael Caine

So for one reason or another, I could be interviewing Sir Michael Caine ce soir.

Not getting too excited because it might not come off; if it does, I think it'll be fun. He's supposed to be a really nice guy.

Trouble is, it's all happening at about 9.45pm tonight. And people who know me know that's about the time I start flagging. One thing I have learnt about chatting to famous peeps - it takes a lot of energy.

Fingers crossed, eh?

Spotted: Charlie Brooker

Charlie Brooker: going up the escalator in Clapham Junction Debenhams, looking grumpy.

Is grumpy his default face setting? I know he does "professional" grumpy, but I was surprised to see him free-time grumpy too. I mean, it was quite a nice day today; not too crowded in the shops, not raining, quite mild, what did he have to be pissed off about?

I only managed my now customary sustained eye contact, which seems to be the best I can do when caught unawares by "celebrity" (see Mark Owen; lucky Gina McKee got slightly more than me gawping). Charlie saw me looking, looked back. C'est tout.

Wish I'd managed a knowing wink.

The rest of the (unsuccessful) shopping trip, I couldn't help penning lines of this weeks' column for him in that tone. "Shopping sucks; what makes it worse is when you bump into odd people who think they know you because they read what you write. Every week." Etc.