Readers of this blog would hardly suspect that since before Christmas I have been working on a production of Caryl Churchill's Cloud Nine. I've kept quiet about it because had I posted you'd mostly have read a cheerless tirade about the difficulties and disappointments of the project, the unreliability and incompetence of others (my competence and reliability being above reproach of course) and the total inadequacy of our rehearsal facilities.

But last night we held our first rehearsal in the theatre. What fun it was. What a buzz to have a set, lights and sound and an enthusiastic cast getting to grips with the play in a proper space. That was our technical rehearsal so there was tweaking here and there, halts for fiddling with lights, re-runs of tricky bits and rushing past sections where nothing much other than acting takes place.

Tonight the dress rehearsal in which we aim to simulate performance conditions and then tomorrow we open.

Wouldn't it be lovely to have more theatre time or a really good rehearsal space. Don't sigh for Kitwe......carpe diem.

Someone asked me the other day what had happened to Pierre Levicky of Pierre Victoire fame. I didn't know but thanks to today's Evening News I learnt that he is running a restaurant called Chez Pierre in Eyre Place. In fact I think it was something I already knew but had forgotten.

I hope whoever asked me reads this because I can't remember who it was. And I must check out the restaurant before I forget about its existence again.

I was sitting in a bus at the bottom of Dundas Street this afternoon when a man got on carrying a book and a Cloud Nine flyer. How exciting and unexpected was that.

Slumdog Millionaire was billed somewhere as "feel good film of the year" but now that I have at last seen it I couldn't disagree more strongly.

I'm sure I'm not giving away any secrets when I tell you that there is a happy ending. But that happy ending is for two individuals out of a cast of millions. The film as a whole presents an unremittingly bleak picture of poverty, squalor, inter-communal hatred, corruption, spite and cruelty. I'm not surprised that the Indian press were unhappy at the way in which their country was portrayed.

It's a good story and is well told but for me it's the "feel absolutely nauseated that anyone lives like that film of the year". Let's hope some of the millions made from it go back to alleviate their lives.

I saw a production of Shaw's The Millionairess last night by Edinburgh amateur company The Makars. I went primarily to distribute leaflets advertising my own show but the production was worth the journey.

I have a couple of vague memories of Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren in the film version, mostly to do with the song lyrics "boom diddee boom diddee boom, goodness gracious me". Now I've seen the play and refreshed my memory of the film thanks to the internet I feel that I am almost an authority.

The play like all Shaw's works is very wordy and the cast did terribly well to keep the text alive and entertaining throughout. The sets were fairly minimalist but captured the essence of the different locations and the transformation from the decrepit Pig and Whistle into the up-market Cardinal's Hat was cleverly and economically achieved. The costumes to my eye gave us the flavour of the 30s and The Millionairess in particular was beautifully dressed for the final scene.

The director made excellent use of the entire stage and gave us lots of variety and interest in how she placed the characters although much of the movement seemed to break the convention that a character has to have a good reason to move.

It was a lively and entertaining production so if you are at a loose end this evening pop along to Adam House for 7.30 and enjoy yourself. If last night is anything to go by the under 60s will be especially welcome, not least because they pay full price.

If you've nothing cheerful and interesting to say keep your mouth shut.

That's the reason I haven't been posting recently. But before I get out of the habit completely and my readership turns elsewhere for entertainment and stimulation I thought I had better at the very least display some signs of life.

Around ten days ago I did something nasty to my leg. The joints were swollen and painful. The muscles were in a permanent state of cramp. I woke up every few hours in pain during the night and couldn't find a comfortable resting position. I needed a stick to get about.

After a few days it didn't get better so I tried to see a doctor. I had to wait four days. That did nothing for either my condition or my temper. However I'm now on drugs, I've been x-rayed and my doctor believes he can sort me out in time for me to be an able-bodied seaman by April 6th.

But I don't feel a great deal more cheerful and resent having to haul myself out to conduct Cloud Nine rehearsals three nights a week. So I may keep my mouth shut for another ten days.