The drama school was in Oxford - and it's funny to think of it, but in those days when I started out the University was nearly all male. And they certainly weren't mixed.

I'd done "Gosford Park," a film that Julian Fellowes had written that Robert Altman directed.

There were male colleges, and there were very few female colleges.

Try not to cry too much because it can be pretty heart-breaking and pretty hard.

I'm just glad to get any role... the fact that they're all 90 is neither here nor there! Actually, it was Hook that started it. I think it was Peggy Ashcroft who couldn't do the part and somebody was asked how old was I and would I be able to do the part, and the person replied "92" very quickly. And so I've been stuck ever since! But I'm actually very grateful.

I like the ephemeral thing about theatre, every performance is like a ghost - it's there and then it's gone.

There are responsibilities which are parental responsibilities and those are the types of things we prepare the next generation for, but no one tells you how to answer the kids' questions in the backseat of the car when they want to know what the world is for or where they came from or why any of this is happening.