David Farr

The forest has always been a place, in fairy tales and in Shakespeare, where you go and discover who you are. You get stripped of everything you thought you were, some type of ordeal takes place, and you come out stronger.

We turned Cambridge theatre upside down, using odd spaces and devising everything collaboratively. It eventually blew apart, but I'm still proud of some of what we achieved. The style was very disciplined, and we had the sense to keep things short.

The 'Ramayana' explores the limits of secular freedom and the limits of religion.

As you enter the world of myth, you have immediately a wonderful freedom.

Perhaps I'm temperamentally driven to see things from the point of view of the attacked rather than the attacker.

The reason it's called 'The Heart of Robin Hood' is that he starts off not having a heart - or certainly not being in contact with it. And through a series of stories, he learns to discover that he has one. He becomes much more dramatic as a character, to be honest, because there's something rather too smug about the endless do-gooder.

Hamlet' is a play of many strange parts, with ghosts and players, politicians and clowns.

There's nothing more frightening - and exciting - than getting lost in a forest. There is a journey towards the light, and you've got to go through the dark to get to the light. That's what the forest is all about.

Sometimes we don't want to be lectured; we prefer to be taken on a journey.

I love telling stories. I don't really think in terms of clear 'aims.'

The 'Mahabharata' is a more complex and longer saga than the 'Ramayana,' which is like a fairy tale. It's much lighter and more fun, and at its heart, there's a cracking love story.

You can't cast Hittites as Trojans; I'd love to do it, but sadly, there are none available!