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 1983, and the presenter was Roy Plumley. This week our castaway is the actress,

Chenert Cusack.

Cheneard, could you endure being a castaway?

Well, I've thought about it quite seriously.

I'm one of those awkward people

who like to be alone,

but hate being left alone.

Nice distinction, yes.

So I think that I might fret quite a deal on my island.

But I did think that I could occupy myself for quite a few months.

How much does music mean do you?

You have this miserable allowance of eight records?

I'm not very musical myself,

and I am the butt of a lot of family jokes

because my family are all very musical,

and they think I'm a strange being indeed. Because I simply can't remember. There are certain pieces of music I adore. I can never remember who composed them or who played them. But yes, I do listen to music a lot, particularly when I'm on my own. Do you play an instrument? I used to play the piano, but I gave it out because I was appalling. And I used to get wrapped on the knuckles by my music teacher.

It was very cruel.

So you found it a hard job to choose?

Oh, yes, it's a terrible task.

Really awful task.

...