Pinter’s boarding-house classic has many pervy aspects.
The Birthday Party is a cryptic crossword in which two bullies – one Jewish, one Irish – come to get Stanley for reasons that are hidden in the past. There’s more to Meg than meets the eye – there may even be something unseemly going on with Stanley. She gives a lovely performance, her vowels coming over all posh when the two sinister gentlemen come looking for her lodger, Stanley. The marvellous Sheila Steafel is the latest to wear the curlers. Pinter’s 1957 comedy-thriller has had many famous Megs, including Beatrix Lehmann, Doris Hare, Joan Plowright, Dora Bryan and Eileen Atkins, all of them tottering about in their pinnies banging on about how refreshing cornflakes are. The Birthday Party is set in a seaside B&B that is run by Meg. And if some of these performers were unleashed on a new audience and picked up a few fans along the way, it was no more than they deserved for their participation in a fitfully arresting evening..

Then there was the top American comic Sarah Silverman, whose sweet but slightly chilly persona didn’t prepare us for her forays into bad taste (“I needed some good news today – so I got an Aids test”).But the evening was about causes first and comedy second. Al Murray as The Pub Landlord served up a solid performance, which provided no surprises for anyone who had seen him before; some of the cast of Green Wing, Channel 4’s hospital-based comedy, delivered a sketch more painful than MRSA; Omid Djalili bravely attempted to send up dictators; and then there was the ubiquitous ensemble piece – a Cluedo murder- mystery – in which everyone (including Richard E Grant and Jo Brand) went down together.Eddie Izzard was only moderately entertaining with a business-as-usual routine about flies. Their double act received a welcoming roar, as if they were a rock band. Their fey ways and and harmless fumblings weren’t hilarious, but they made sweet music and were undeniably charming.The second half of the show lacked the rhythm of the first. The Z4 M comes pretty close.Phillip Dance, 45, project engineer from MalvernUSUAL CAR: SKODA OCTAVIASurprisingly, the driving position is very comfortable. With the roof down it is extremely noisy, far worse than the Z3 The wind deflector, which is vital, costs another £165 For a price of nearly £43,000, this seems a bit of a cheek.

The suspension is stiff and the cockpit rather cramped.There isn’t much to distinguish the Z4 M from the non-M styling-wise but behind the wheel there is no mistaking its extra power and class. BMW was aiming for the “ultimate driving machine” when it created this car. There is a nice roar to the engine but I had to keep reminding myself of the 30mph limit. Inside, the layout is good but I am not convinced about the speedometer, which is pretty cluttered. Visibility is good and the speed at which the roof goes down is excellent.

The gears are easy to use, and it is quiet with the hood down – there is no whistling The handling is spot on, there is no over-steer It is a muscular car and feels quite masculine. It also feels totally different at speed to when you are tootling along. If I was after a car that was a bit of fun I might be tempted to buy one, as long as I could get my golf clubs in the boot: it would be a bit of a squeeze.Will McNaughton, 35, HR consultant from TwickenhamUSUAL CAR: SEAT LEON CUPRAThe engine isn’t as noisy as I thought it would be. It certainly feels as though there is a lot of power, and it is pretty quick when you put your foot down. The driving position is comfy but I imagine if you were a bit taller you would struggle. It looks quite muscular; no way could this be mistaken for a hairdresser’s car. I am surprised by the plastic interior – it marks easily – and I am amazed cars like these don’t come with seat warmers.