If I have time to myself I. . . talk, endlessly, to myself and I frequently lose the debate!

You may not know it but I'm good at. . .organising my life. I'm tidy, neat even. It's a discipline I impose on myself, to counter my somewhat erratic temperament.

You may not know it but I'm bad at. . . keeping negative opinions of people and events to myself.

A book that changed me was. . . Evelyn Waugh's A Handful of Dust. The best novelist writing in English in the 20th century. This relatively short, funny, sad, bitter, provocative story is the benchmark by which I judge all fiction.

Movie heaven is. . . Jean de Florette (left) and Manon des Sources back to back followed by supper at a French restaurant with Sandra.

When I was a child I wanted to be. . .the Pope. Just the coolest soutane.

All my money goes on. . .school fees, pension, holidays, books, wine, fun (and of course cigarettes).

At night I dream. . .'Actor's dreams'. They're seminightmares really. Being in the wrong theatre. Learning the wrong part etc. Awful.

My biggest regret is. . . not being able to play a musical instrument, good, bad or indifferent.

If I wasn't me I'd like to be. . . an orchestral conductor.

It's not fashionable but I like. . . long lazy lunches with good friends, anytime of the year. No pressure of work or even thought of same.

The soundtrack to my life is. . . Hymn for 'Ode to Joy', Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

Because it's good to be alive!

The best invention ever is. . . undoubtedly, the Corkscrew!