Oh, right: not quite mine. Oscar Wilde’s of course – but still, my Italian translation and stage adaptation. Six nights of it, for now – and all of them sold out since late March.

Nina’s people – and, lo and behold! I’ve been allowed to follow the rehearsals. Nina is the sort of director who doesn’t want authors around until opening night, but it seems that I’ve broken that wall, with the result that, for the last week, I’ve practically lived in the first row, taking notes rehearsal after rehearsal, and discussing things afterwards…

Shall we call it a sort of late-not-quite-workshopping?

We (and I’m ridiculously fond of  that “we” ) have dress rehearsals tonight, and it is the We’d Need Another Month stage of things. Last night things became a tad confused a couple of times, and Washington nearly tripped poor Cecil off the stage, and Virginia’s riding gown isn’t quite ready, and the techies aren’t happy with one special shadow trick*, and the director keeps adding last-minute tweaks, and both the Ghost and Mrs. Umney are nursing enormous head colds, and the mourning crape bands keep sliding, and…

Oh well, you know what I mean: pretty much the usual. The way things go right up to the moment when the curtain goes up, and then the miracle happens, and everything works out gorgeously well. It is, after all, a matter of faith and hard work. And a solid sense of humour helps, too.

Wish me luck – no, wish US luck!

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* And nary a proper tech-night in sight…