To recent generations of television viewers, Richard Pearson was the voice of Mole in Cosgrove Hall's animated productions of The Wind in the Willows. His calm tones, along with those of Ian Carmichael (later Peter Sallis), David Jason and Michael Hordern for the similarly sympathetic characters of Rat, Toad and Badger, combined with the unhurried storylines, stop-motion animation and painstakingly created sets to give a sense of nostalgia for that Edwardian era of Kenneth Grahame's original novel. The 1983 television film was followed by four series of The Wind in the Willows (1984-88), as well as the spin-off Oh! Mr Toad! (1989 television film and 1990 series), all featuring Grahame's humanistic animal characters.

I loved Ken Ludwig's operatic backstage farce when it was produced on this same stage (then the Globe) 25 years ago; and I love this new musical comedy adaptation – by unknown Americans Peter Sham (book and lyrics) and Brad Carroll (music) – even more.

This uproarious new musical comedy by Peter Sham and Brad Carroll is a riotous, unpredictable explosion of mistaken identities and unexpected romance - based on the award-winning West End and Broadway hit comedy by Ken Ludwig.

The Ballabriggs of the social steeplechase

Cabaret is having a renaissance because of the blandness of TV and films We all crave genuine excitement, that true gasp of surprise or joy, and that's what cabaret can bring, by assaulting the senses from as many levels as possible. For me, it's about my pose and my shrieks, political satire as well as long fishnet legs in the air; tackling loads of emotions gives you a glimpse of human excess, and its frailty.

Camp? Well, let's put it this way. Kneehigh's stage adaptation of Jacques Demy's Gallic, unashamedly romantic and singularly through-sung 1964 movie musical was only half way through its cod introduction when I was assailed by a sudden Proustian memory. It was of an edition of Just a Minute in which Kenneth Williams was given, as his subject, the phrase "Honi soit qui mal y pense". "Translated into yer actual English," the great man averred, "that means 'Honest sweat killed many a ponce'."

Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president of natural resource-rich Kazakhstan, has a starring role in the US Embassy cable leaks, with tales of his "cordial relationship" with Prince Andrew, and his fondness for horses. Not included (so far) is a story about Nazarbayev and Kazakhmys – the FTSE-100 miner – uncovered by campaign group Global Witness earlier this year, although the tale dates back to 2006 and a five-night stay at London's swanky Lanesborough hotel.

Critics always say that the most important element in a musical is the libretto, or book. Audiences don't care about this so much if the music is good, hence the popularity of Verdi, Puccini, and Lloyd Webber.