Doing a compulsory standup routine in my first week of drama school.

The print size in my mind decreased with time’s incremental decline, and as I arrived at the last word – weeks – it suddenly struck me, with all the force of the fullest sense of the word ‘struck’, that this could actually be his answer and not just the logical next time period in my sentence. Every cell in my body, except those responsible for maintaining a reasonable, calm exterior, was now lindy-hopping at that possibility, the only one that hadn’t occurred to me until that moment.

This is a lot harder for you than it is for me. If you had gone to bed as many nights as I did in the old days knowing that you had taken so much stuff that could kill you and not knowing if you would wake up, this is not as shocking as you think.

My parents died within four days of each other. I was engulfed as I ran from one bedside to another.

There’s been the odd beauty on the dance floor I really ought to have gone home with.

I haven’t achieved anything of note yet.

Happiness is mostly intrinsic: you’re either a happy soul or a miserable bastard. Fortunately, I’m the former.

Artists who do their own thing, without compromise: Ken Loach, Bob Dylan and James Kelman.

When you can barely stand to look at someone without turning away to catch your breath.

Laying down slabs for the council.