I hated Sundays when I was growing up in Streatham, south London. Everything closed down and stopped.

Very often my weekends are spent performing on Saturday, on stage in the afternoon and again in the evening.

I don't practise any religion but I am deeply interested in the answers that mankind has come up with to explain the human situation.

I actually wanted to be a writer long before I wanted to be an actor.

Childhood didn't have a big influence on me, really - in fact I spent most of it plotting how to escape.

I'd like to direct more operas.

Shakespeare wrote all there is that we need to know about dementia in 'King Lear.