Melanie McDonagh’s Notebook

We all have moments of weakness; mine was at the press night of Sally Cookson’s dramatised version of Jane Eyre at the National Theatre. On my way back to my seat for the second half, I saw the notice: This production will take three hours and 10 minutes. That meant there was an hour and a half to go.

I took a sideways look at the friend who was with me. “Are you OK to go back?”