Robert Daws is a stage and TV actor whose roles have included Tuppy Glossop in Jeeves And Wooster, Roger Dervish in Outside Edge and more recently, Dr Gordon Ormerod in ITV’s The Royal.

He appears in Michael Frayn’s Alarms And Excursions at Theatre Royal Brighton from Monday (August 1) to Saturday.

For tickets, call 0844 8717650

Which film star/musician/artist/writer do you admire?

Richard Attenborough. He is truly an extraordinary man. He has fulfilled such a variety of roles – actor, director, producer, chairman of Channel 4, as well as sitting on many charity committees.

He’s managed to strike the perfect balance between being a creative artist and having a strong public consciousness, which is a rare and difficult thing to do.

Which TV programme couldn’t you live without?

Newsnight and Paxo! When I do theatre that is the thing I rush to get home for!

Do you remember the first record you bought? What was it, and where did you buy it?

Ride A White Swan by T-Rex, which I bought on Leigh Road in Leigh-on-Sea.

Do you have a favourite film?

Cinema Paradiso – it’s such a wonderful film about friendship, family ties, growing up, coming of age and getting old. It’s incredibly moving. I watch it again and again and each time I see something new in it.

What about a favourite book?

The Magus by John Fowles. I first read it in my teens and reread it last year and I still find it fascinating. It’s such a many-layered story that there is always some new discovery. I have always been drawn to the writing of John Fowles, he is such a powerful storyteller.

Is there a song or individual piece of music you always come back to?

Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin. And you can’t beat Stevie Wonder!

What are you reading at the moment?

How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran. I think she is one of the most insightful and hilarious writers working today. I know the title may not seem immediately appealing if you are a man but I am enjoying it immensely.

Tell me about a live music/ theatre/cinema experience that sticks in your memory...

The RSC’s The Histories, starring Alan Howard, directed by Terry Hands. I saw it all in one day and it completely changed the way I thought about Shakespeare.

Before that I always thought I couldn’t really relate to or fully understand Shakespeare but the power of the storytelling and the theatricality of the whole event showed me just how fantastic the plays are.

Is there an actor or other performer who made you want to do what you do now?

When I was a teenager I saw Jack Pullman’s adaptation of War And Peace and the part of Pierre was played by an actor called Anthony Hopkins. It was the most mesmerising thing I had ever seen and he has remained my favourite actor ever since.

If you get a spare 30 minutes how are you most likely to spend it?

As I have three young children, getting a spare 30 minutes is a very rare thing but, on the lucky chance I did, I would use them wisely and sleep!

Tell us a little about your part in Alarms And Excursions…

It’s actually eight plays and eight roles so it’s been a very interesting process.

I would almost say it’s one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. With Michael Frayn’s writing, it’s so precise and so demanding that to get it right so that it looks easy takes a lot of energy – you’re actually paddling like mad beneath the surface. But it’s been very enjoyable to be able to explore such a variety of themes and characters within one play.

How does preparing for a theatrical role differ to a TV one?

Essentially it doesn’t. Preparing for a character is the same whatever you do; the difference comes in the execution. Theatre is more muscular and physical than TV.

You engage your longterm memory learning vast amounts of text, which you have to repeat in exactly the same way at every performance, whereas TV is much more about the short-term memory. It’s very quick fire; you go from one scene to another and generally never revisit the text again.

You're married to Amy Robbins who was your co-star in The Royal. Do you try to keep your private and professional lives separate?

We do. We were very lucky that we had the opportunity to work together for eight years on The Royal but that is rare. The nature of being a jobbing actor means your work can take you anywhere so your private and professional life becomes very separate by default.

What other projects can we expect to see you in over the next 12 months?

I am working on a new TV series, which I hope should be finished in the autumn. I’ve also done some work on Doc Martin and New Tricks, which should be out soon.