I think with the best actors, emotion is something that has no kind of check in them.

I have always been interested in gender politics, so I'm not that keen on doing things that don't represent a truth about women.

I get grumpy about the innate conservatism of our tastes; I love bold theatre, and I get annoyed when a heritage piece is really successful.

Your desire to please... actors are people pleasers and if somebody says your vocal choice in this was ridiculous or whatever you will come back and do it differently. So, to avoid getting into a situation where you're altering your performance way down the line you have to just not do it at all. It's hard and I have done it in the past to disastrous consequences!

I can't spend the rest of my life being pretty in a bonnet.

Our conception of 1950s underwear is a lovely vintage aesthetic, but actually, wearing stockings with no elastic and a girdle was heavy duty.

Normally, when youre working on something, there are other characters that you have alliances with, and you have unified goals with some characters.