Christian Cooke

It sounds stupid, but there's nothing like walking down the street and seeing a building that's older than 100 years old. I think London - not to sound pretentious - like New York, it's a big melting pot for all things and it's just got this energy that you can't find anywhere else. ”

I learnt a blend of different martial arts - not in great depth, obviously - but various moves such as kicks, blocks and punches. It was all quite fun. ”

So I'm still in my romantic stage with London, I love it as a place. ”

I was painfully shy, so my aunt suggested to my mum that me and my brother go to Stage 84, a performing arts school in Yorkshire. I've probably romanticised it in my head, but I seem to remember that in the space of an hour's drama workshop, I was transformed. I went in really shy, and I came out full of confidence. ”

With Shakespeare, because you invest so much time in working on material, it always sort of stays with you to some degree. ”

My brother is an agent, so he is in the business. Is he my agent? No, no, no. That would never work. ”