Hello, I'm Kirstie Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For Wright's reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 1979, and the presenter was Roy Plumlee. This week our castaway is the actor Alec McCowan.

Alec, could you cope with loneliness for a long time, I mean?

Oh yes, I think so. I think I might quite like it.

Really?

What would you be particularly happy to have got away from?

Other people.

Right, words.

Is music an important thing in your life?

Oh, enormously important, yes.

Do you play an instrument or creative?

Yes, well I had piano lessons when I was a boy.

I had a wonderful piano teacher called Miss Lafflin and I did study the piano for about eight years

I'm afraid I still play the same pieces now that I learned then.

Have you ever played them in public?

Once or twice, uh, on the stage.

During plays?

During plays?

Yes. Yes.

Well this is a great asset for an actor, an actor who can play the piano.

Yes, the one thing I cannot do is play the piano and speak at the same time.

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