| Description | Contains:
p5 The Black Christ of Portobello - story about a statue of Christ
p13-15 Stowaway - preliminary workings for a story on this theme, inspired by piece read in newspaper.
p16 Short notes on trip to London 1989
p17 Note re Nick Dear, a fellow playwright
p21-23 Kissing the Pope workings
p25 Shona Morris - contact details - actress in Say Your Prayers
p25 Chris Hartwell - contact details - commercials director
p33 'Friends of Mike' - list of titles of work including The Last Passenger - working title for the Stowaway
p34-40 Notes on relationship between writer and director e.g advice on not attending press night ('nothing to be learned, and it may taint your relationship with the play and production forever'), about when and how to make revisions based on advice of director, through reheasals etc. Reflections on the nature of an audience - that you can tell of a piece of dialogue is not listened to. ('there will come a point, three weeks into rehearsal when the dircetor and cast know the play better than you...if the director says "it aint working here" you start looking' 'sacrifice everything at the altar of the story'. Ratio 1:10 - 1 minute of spare material will turn the audience off for 10 minutes.
p43-44 Writing on the nature of being a playwright like that of being an architect - building a house, much of this used in One Darke Night
p49-67 Thoughts on the Last Passenger/Stowaway being an Opera, including detailed breakdowns of the story outline.
p69 Kissing The Pope production notes, regarding shortening the play
p73 - 95 Development notes for the Slave Saver
p99 Short notes 'Caffeine free - that's a bargain' and 'The blind leading the bland'
p100 Short piece of writing on FBI
p101 play on words succulent/truculent; 'on stage nothing is accidental, everything has meaning'
p109 note on poisioned water - possibly early idea for The Man With Green Hair
p123 Notes on parish and parishioners/ farmers locally
NB the latter third of notebook is unused.
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