Also sporting a splash of blue paint across his face, from ear to ear, covering his eyes, Stipe resembled a villain from a Marvel comic. It all played well on the big screens.After a few choice words about George Bush, Stipe launched into one of the stronger and more heartfelt tracks on the new record, "Final Straw" - a tirade against his gormless leader. However, there is no mention, throughout the evening, of the London bomb attacks. An odd omission, especially given the gig had to be cancelled (previously scheduled for this previous Saturday) because of them. Perhaps Stipe's concern for London was implicit in the way he performed "Everybody Hurts". He appeared to apply special emphasis to "take comfort in your friends" and "you are not alone". Or is that clutching at straws?Griping aside, this was still an exceptional performance.

Stipe's voice was impeccable and Mills and Buck performed admirably And there were some indisputable gems too. The gorgeous "Nightswimming"(from Automatic for the People) was part of the five-song encore.

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Stipe ended the beautiful lament by clambering on to Mills's piano, rubbing his stubbly skull and clapping at his fellow band member, before planting a kiss on him. The equally luscious "Electrolite" (New Adventures in Hi-Fi) was also surprisingly and joyfully wheeled out.Ultimately, an accomplished performance from a band who have a lost a little of their mystery, but none of their expertise or flair.. He nurtured one of Britain's most prolific playwrights and breathed new life into the dying art of theatre.

Fifty years ago this week, the maverick director Stephen Joseph opened a theatre in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, which had a far-reaching impact on the dramatisation of plays across the country. Joseph, son of the actress Hermione Gingold and the publisher Michael Joseph, had been so inspired by seeing theatre in the round - where the audience sit around the stage instead of in front of it - in America that he decided to import the concept. As his venture, originally on the first floor of Scarborough's public library, gave fresh impetus to British theatre, he attracted a young teenage actor called Alan Ayckbourn to join his company. Hearing that Ayckbourn had written a little at school, Joseph encouraged his talent. Nearly 70 plays later, Ayckbourn, now artistic director of a theatre carrying the name of Stephen Joseph, is leading 50th anniversary tributes to the man to whom he owes his award-winning career."Stephen was charismatic and very attractive with a very warm personality. He was very unconventional in dress and I met him when I was 17, 18 - he was the sort of guy who made an impression on you," Ayckbourn said yesterday.