Handel's Messiah on Classic FM, a very tasty half-price Chianti (special offer at the Co-op / Scotmid - to take a leaf from Mr Neill's book and blog about bargains for a second) and I'm busily (middle-classedly) procrastinating over wrapping my presents.

I am pretty much sorted for the play now. I've finally portioned up the text. It took ages - particularly if you count up all the bus rides when I lovingly studied the lines. And of course I've done it in splendid isolation so who knows how it will actually sound. ..

I posted most of my scripts to the actors on Tuesday and gave out a couple more last night at It's a Wonderful Life (inevitably an improvement on the last Filmhouse film I saw). So now I just need to think about blocking it.

I realised this week that I am startlingly inarticulate when it comes - sometimes - to explaining what I mean. A few people have asked me now what I'm meaning to say with this play. And I like the language but that doesn't quite cut it. I'm interested in the themes that she's playing around with - but does that make me a suicuidal psychotic? I have a vague idea of what I'm trying to achieve with the way that I've portioned up the lines. But I'm spectacularly bad at explaining what that might be to anyone else.

Maybe I can take a class.