I had a great drama teacher and he sort of made out drama school as this incredibly difficult thing to get into: 6 000 people apply every year and some of the schools only have 12 places. It's a phenomenally difficult thing to get into. And that excited me - I wanted that challenge.
Somehow I kept my head above water. I relied on the discipline character and strength that I had started to develop as that little girl in her first swimming pool.
