A relationship requires a lot of work and commitment.

On the stage, you alone hold the key, and on the night you have to trust that the director has inspired you enough to take the material and run with it.

With a theatre audience there's always the additional sense of a sustained challenge of which I'm acutely aware and for which you need to have the tools ready - your voice, physicality, brain.

I feel lucky, happy and philosophical about it all.

I want to come across as a positive person.

In many ways, when you're young and sexy, it's very annoying to be whistled at and to have someone always trying to attract your attention, but now when it happens I find myself registering the fact almost warmly.

I came to Ireland 20 years ago as a student, hitch-hiking round for a week and staying in Dublin.