Christopher Hampton is one of Britain’s most outstanding and prolific playwrights and screenwriters. Currently his Dangerous Liaisons is playing at the National Theatre, while his Atonement has its world premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre on 29th May and his The Truth opens at The Apollo Theatre in June. 

He talks to Charlotte Metcalf about his life in film and cinema and the characters he’s met along the way range from his legendary agent Peggy Ramsay and schoolfriend David Hare to David Lean, Stephen Frears, Sean Connery, Emma Thompson, Martin Scorsese and many many more.