An Evening With Mo Mowlam, The Nuffield.

AS she shuffled on to stage, blaming its uneven camber for her unsteadiness, it is almost hard to believe Mo Mowlam was possibly one of the most important politicians of the 20th century.

Unaffected, down-to-earth and as unassuming as you could hope, 55-year-old Mowlam, pictured, is full of flu and makes no apologies for requesting hankies - "loo paper will do" - and munching on throat sweets throughout the absorbing two-hour one-woman show.

Engaging with her audience as if sat in her front room, Mowlam talked about her work bringing peace to Northern Ireland and how she phoned her mum to ask if she should talk to convicted terrorists inside the Maze prison because "mums talk a lot of common sense."

She spoke candidly about her life pre and post-politics, how, while lecturing at Newcastle University, she would make things up to get her students to question what they were hearing and what it was like being the only Labourite at Michael Portillo's 40th.

Blair, Europe and parliamentary reform were all given an outing alongside anecdotes from her constituency Redcar.

But what would she discuss if she were alone with Ann Widdecombe? "Knickers!" Ace stuff!