NO!” yelped Riki. “I won’t do it!”

“Come on,” I pleaded, pleadingly. “What could be better than a Superbreak in London? It’s our beloved Capital, after all. Which means we’re bound to have a capital time.”

I was surprised that Riki wasn’t as thrilled as I was by the prospect of two days in the Big Smoke, as she’s usually a mega fan of mega cities.

Then she explained herself.

It turned out she was nervous about visiting London after the summer riots. I calmly pointed out that riots – unlike Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussauds and stirring renditions of ‘Knees Up Muvva Brown’ – are not a specifically London phenomenon.

Even our own shy and retiring Brum took a mangling from the mindless mob.

Eventually Riki agreed to the break, and off we lolloped to London, along with our son, Ben.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so persuasive.

Just a few hours later our mouths were agape as we watched a furious gang of ne’er-do-wells threaten life and limb of innocent victims.

There was anger. There was violence. There were death threats. There were... witches?!

Okay, I’ll ‘fess up. The world hadn’t gone loopy, yet again.

The mob we were watching happened to be on stage. They were actors in a stunning stage version of Wicked, one of the most successful and thrilling musicals in West End history. Our Superbreak package included taking in the musical, along with accommodation and travel.

This year the show celebrates five years on the London stage. That’s five years of jaunty songs, slick performances and awe struck audiences.

In case you haven’t caught the Wicked vibe by now, it’s a more grown-up and sophisticated version of The Wizard Of Oz.

Though essentially the same yarn, this fresh take is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, and is a re-telling of the tale from the point of view of The Wicked Witch Of The West.

Which means nothing is quite how you remember it.

For a start, the Wicked Witch (or Elphaba, as she’s known to her buddies) should really be called the Misunderstood Witch Of The West.

In this version of the story she’s a good gal, trying to defeat the true villain of the piece, the woeful Wizard.

The story begins during Elphaba’s school days, when she is persecuted for having green skin. As she matures, she comes to realise that Oz is a magical though miserable dictatorship.