Well, I’ve taken the usual cocktail of Multivitamins + Iron (‘particularly suitable for energy levels, health and vitality and circulation’ the bottle says); Selenium plus A, C & E; Holland & Barrett’s ‘naturally inspired’ Chelated Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc; Cod Liver Oil capsules; Sea Kelp: “a rich source of the trace mineral iodine which is necessary for normal growth and development…” – the label doesn’t say what type of growth but never mind. And, naturally, my aloe vera which I take, sometimes twice a day, to ward off indigestion and provide a balance for my excesses.

You would think that with that litany of vitamins the bags under my eyes would have disappeared. But not at all. My eldest, who is wise and knowledgeable about such matters, told me that unless I stop drinking coffee, unglue myself from the computer and get some decent sleep, the baggy eyes are going to persist. Ungluing myself from the computer is really an impossibility so I am condemned to have bags under my eyes forever and aye, I suppose. I must try putting ice on them. I read this tip in some women’s magazine. This, we are told, is what supermodels do to eliminate those bags. I must put it down on my long ‘List of things to do’. But will it ever get done? Will I ever get round to unbagging my eyes?

Of course part of the trouble is a serious lack of sleep. I never want to miss out on anything which I consider to be worth the effort, so from work to theatre, then back to work more often than not.

Last week I trotted off to the Mediterranean Conference Centre to watch Footloose, Yada’s energetic musical which is currently playing in London at the Novello Theatre in Aldwych with tickets at least at twice the local price. What did I like best of all? Justin Roy Barker who is just such a gifted dancer, elegant in his every movement. He skips and slides and jumps around with such ease.

I loved Claudette’s new look: an ‘animal skin’ chiffon caftan created by Charles and Ron of Beatrix. (I want one too! Just like Claudette’s!). She looked stunning in her new-found waist and hairstyle. Her spot with Felix, half serious, half fun, was memorable.

Chiara has visibly lost a substantial amount of weight though not yet slim enough to wear lime green. But once her voice takes over, one tends to forget these details, though I am happy she is finally out of the usual caftan and those ridiculous hair styles.

I thought Colin Willis was well suited to play the Reverend Shaw Moore and carried it off well. So did Marylu Coppini as his less strict wife who understood that the young ones wanted to have some fun.

Catherine Strawbridge is such a professional and obviously enjoys every moment of what she does. I found Vivienne Fielding Refalo’s cameo spot with Felix elegant.

Those come immediately to mind though there were other outstanding dancers and singers. I heard Claudia Faniello for the first time and very much enjoyed her singing. In fact I loved all the singers and their songs. They really brought something special to the show. As did Giorgina Streisand, the drag diva, towards the end. She doesn’t take herself seriously and there was an element of fun in her number.

Felix was of course Felix. Gifted, energetic and no show would be the same without him.

However, maybe playing a teenager was perhaps going a little too far. His teenage years are over and he should accept it and make this definitely his last appearance as a teenage boy.

I liked least of all the various American accents to which we were subjected. Few of them sounded natural. I would have abandoned the idea altogether and stuck to good old English. We’re much better at it and it would have been more credible. But I enjoyed being transported to a teenage world to which I never really belonged, this being Malta. While everyone in the rest of the world, was having fun, we were attending Legion of Mary meetings, and making certain our elbows were covered in church for fear the parish priest would call my mother and tell her off.

Harry Borg’s set design and painting were fabulous though the acoustics at MCC still leave much to be desired. Simply too loud. Surely something can be done about that if a good sound engineer is recruited?

But the star of the week must surely be the young Czech pianist Lukas Vondracek who together with our National Orchestra bewitched us with the much loved Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op 43 by Sergei Rachmaninov. Now 19 this young man gave his first concert at the age of four. He has so far visited 21 different countries giving in excess of 75 concerts. The orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Michael Laus, rose to the occasion. Lukas’ playing was warm, brilliant, full of romanticism and crystal clear. There he sat, longish hair, baggy black trousers, loose black shirt. His technique is prodigious and his expressive fervour in no doubt. His youthful freshness, backed by our orchestra, made this popular Rhapsody highly enjoyable. Some truly thrilling playing. The audience was touched and clapped and clapped not wanting his playing to come to an end. Michael Laus gave him a great bear hug after the Rhapsody was over, which was a lovely ‘paternal’ gesture and a bouquet of flowers was presented to young Lukas. The audience was insistant, expectant and he played another beautiful piece which I did not recognize. Lino Attard, chairman of our national orchestra, later told me it was Song of Love Op. 7 by Josef Suk. Beautiful.

Sergei Rachmaninov was a composer and conductor but also renowned as a virtuoso pianist. He changed nothing but simply added to the store of pleasure, like Falla, who died three years after him. After all, for the average music lover like me, it is the mainstream that matters. Sergei would have been proud of Lukas had he still been around. Unfortunately I had to leave after the interval so missed the Brahms symphony. But I really went to listen to the Rhapsody.

Thankfully, the last pages of First went to the printers today and André, Conrad and myself gave a little shout of relief, crossing our fingers that nothing awful would happen after all that work.

Soon after the little shout, I am called at reception as someone wanted to hand me over an invitation. And so it happened that I came to meet Yi Chuan and Francesca Gaspar of The Rickshaw at the Corinthia Palace Hotel which opened an incredible 12 years ago.

Under the stewardship of the celebrated Italico Rota. It is undergoing a revitalisation and Signor Rota, it seems, is intent on improving on The Rickshaw as well. So a new Indonesian chef has been engaged and a new menu launched. They have invited me with other hacks and hackettes to go and find out next week. There goes my diet again!