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.