Nigel Hawthorne is now very well-known as Secretary to the Cabinet in the television series Yes, Prime Minister. In conversation with Michael Parkinson, he talks about his childhood in South Africa, dropping out of Cape Town University to become an actor, the move to England, the Theatre Royal, Stratford East with Joan Littlewood and eventual fame.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Her Holle Rache (The Magic Flute) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart