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

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music. The program was originally broadcast in 1978, and the presenter was Roy Plumley. This week, our castaway is the actor Michael Crawford.

Michael, you're a very active chap.

Do you think you could look after yourself on a desert island?

Well, yes, I think I could.

I tend to live when I'm not working a little as though I'm on a desert island.

I live by myself, although I do have a sort of Girl Friday

and my 93-year-old grandmother who lives next door,

but she's not too keen on running around getting the firewood.

Yes, I understand. Could you build a shelter?

Yes, yes, I could. I'm good at that sort of thing.

Done any fishing? No, I haven't. No. I'm loath to bang things like that on the head, I must say.

I don't mind getting them out the water, but I'm not to...

It's like keeping chickens.

I'm great, but I'll end up with 150 chickens.

I haven't got the courage to what is known as ring their next.

Would you try to escape?

I think so, yes.

Unless some very attractive young native girl turned up, I think I would.

Yes, I would try.

We'd build a little boat or something, yes.

Now, you have eight discs, just eight.

...