There is something slightly unnerving about waiting for Richard E Grant to appear on stage, perhaps because we are not used to seeing actors being themselves.

As his audience at this one-off event, we were to have him all to ourselves. A one-on-one - well almost - with the man famed for playing Withnail.

This was an intimate account of the pleasures and pitfalls of movie making from one of the country's most charismatic actors.

His latest book, The Wah-Wah Diaries, takes a behind-the-scenes look at his directorial debut - a semi-biographical tale set in Swaziland.

Helped along by journalist Chris Bray to tease the best stories from him, Grant also treated us to a reading from the book interspersed with several clips from the film.

Begging the King of Swaziland to begin filming and an enraged account of a clash with a French producer kept the audience in good humour, with nothing kept too serious for too long.

The Q&A session at the end proved Grant can hold his own in front of a crowd, whipping back witty responses to everything from "Do you believe in God?" to "How often do you write your diary?".

This was a rare chance to sit back and relax with a great English actor telling you those behind-the-camera stories you never usually hear.