Saturday morning, I sat sitting in my tastefully appointed home, when I started to wonder. What should I do today?

As it was cold and wet I decided not to be too active. Inspiration struck. I would take a stroll across the river to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre to see what was playing. This is a large and modern venue, that has enabled the big West End shows to travel across the sea to perform in Ireland. The logistics and cost of staging these massive shows requires a space large enough to make it profitable for them to do so.

The shows tend to do a one or a two week run. It means that I am spoiled for choice, should the notion take me to attend.

The price for the tickets can be prohibitive though. You’d go bankrupt if you paid full price all the time.

Possessing more than merely a pretty face, I have discovered a cunning trick. It involves wandering into the box office about thirty minutes before showtime and asking for a cheapest ticket in the house on the upper balcony. Unless the show is a monster hit however, matinees tend to be more sparsely attended. The balconies are not opened. However when you pay for the cheap seat, the ticket staff automatically upgrade you to a seat in the stalls. Effectively you are getting a half price ticket. In the last few months I have seen ‘Cabaret’ and ‘Sunset Boulevard’ for a deep discount using this devious device.

Today’s show was ‘Monty Python’s Spamalot’ – a musical based on the film ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail.’

It was utterly ridiculous. It tells the tale of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table in their quest to find the Holy Grail. In Monty Python style. Lots of slapstick, gags and in-jokes.

I loved it. As the audience joined in to the rousing ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ I had a big smile on my face.

It wasn’t remotely deep, in fact it was very, very silly. And all the better for it.

I wonder what’s on next Saturday.