[plt-scheme] Performance of MzScheme

Hi,

I'm new to this list, and I have a question.

I'm writing some visualisation software (in C and C++) and I'm looking at 
using MzScheme as an embedded scripting language (initially for the user 
interface), specifically for writing event handlers for hierarchical state 
machines. I've chosen MzScheme because:

(a) It's either a Scheme or a Lisp (I'm looking for that "growing a 
language" thing),
(b) The documentation on embedding and extending MzScheme looks very 
encouraging,
(c) It runs on Linux and Windows,
(d) The price is right.

I'm trying not to stress too much about the performance aspect ("premature 
optimisation is the root of all evil", and all that) and I know that the 
mzc compiler is there, but (some of) the Scheme event handler code will 
have to run at something resembling interactive frame rates. So I wanted to 
ask your opinion (off-the-cuff is fine): do you think MzScheme is fast 
enough for use in an interactive, "real-time" system?

I had intended to use Corman Common Lisp (http://www.cormanlisp.com), that 
is to say, something with an embeddable compiler, but alas it is Windows-only.

Any thoughts? The obvious answer is "knock up a prototype and see how far 
you get", which is of course what I'm (about to start) doing, but I thought 
I'd see if anyone had any advice (up to and including "don't bother") 
before I really get started.

Cheers,

John :^P

--
John Pallister
john at synchromesh.com