Dugald Bruce Lockhart

And there, waiting on the terrace, is a table set for two.

And he realized that he's been expected.

And the relationship he has with Maurice Conscious, who is the Magus, the magician, if you like, who takes him on this wild adventure spiritually.

And physically, that relationship was also part and parcel of Heinriching Hassen, but also very much Ricky.

So those two were huge influences.

Yes, great question.

Because I also, as well as acting, I direct and teach now.

And my main focus, especially having spent 15 years working and touring with Shakespeare, with actors, is that you find character through the words, the use of the words.

I describe it as using words as weapons to change somebody's mind.

And if your idea of acting is that you have to reach this character that somehow exists outside of yourself, you're never going to use the words properly.

And actually,

It's the text, the situation, the words, particularly the rhythm of the words, the very sound of the words, the order the words come.

And of course, this is hugely important in Shakespeare.

If you deliver the words right, you create a signal which the audience picks up and in their head, they see the character.

So you don't act the character, you act the words.

And this belief that's grown and I've understood over 25 years of touring, especially working with Shakespeare, has made me very conscious when I write of just how important certain words are, about how specific you have to be.

And the other thing is that like a good play, the audience will only sit in their seat if they don't know what's going to happen next and if they care what's going to happen next.

As long as you're addressing those two things, then you're winning something.

And which is why I think I see writing as an exercise of being a thriller.

No matter what kind of story it is, there needs to be that element of you wanting to turn the page.