We caught up with Irish actress Pauline McLynn, who is currently touring the country in the stage production of East is East, to talk about everything from mushroom stroganoff to her love of Eurovision.

First record you ever bought
Tony Christie: ‘Is This the Way to Amarillo’.

Last extravagant purchase you made
Knitting yarn on the internet: can’t resist it. Every day is like Christmas now because I can never remember what I’ve ordered, so each package is a lovely surprise.

First movie you ever went on a date to
Can’t remember though it will have been something in the late 70s.

Last time you cried
May 23rd 2015, when the Irish public voted yes for marriage equality. I didn’t just cry, I bawled with happiness.

First thing you do when you’ve got time off work
Potter about in the garden, talking to myself and weeding.

Last great meal you cooked
I do a good selection of curries when called upon.

First crush
Sidney Poitier.

Last book you read
Bog Bodies. I am interested in writing something that has bogs in it, and all that they contain.

First great piece of advice you were given
From my mum: never grow up.

Last time you were starstruck
Each time I enter the East is East rehearsal room: it’s full of stars! I also tend to dribble when starstruck and that ain’t a pretty sight.

First thing you’d do if you ran the country
Put an end to cruelty.

Last meal on earth: what would it be
I am very fond of a mushroom stroganoff. So that with lashings of red wine.

First film you saw that really moved you
Ring of Bright Water.

Last lie you told
I just had two glasses of wine!

First song you’ll sing at karaoke
‘Waterloo’. One of my favourite Eurovision winners. I love Eurovision!

Last time you exploited your position to get something
Tickets for my niece and her mates (and me!) to see One Direction play *3EastEnders*2’ Albert Square for Children in Need.

First time you realised you were famous
What? I’m famous? News to me.

Last time someone criticised your work
Happens on a daily basis but it goes with the job.

First three words your friends would use to describe you
Laughing, generous, eejit: I hope!

Last time you made an impulse buy and regretted it
I am trying to wean myself off buying dresses that ‘will fit when I lose a few pounds’. I see them on a hanger or a skinny model and think they’ll look like that on me but they never will. I always regret that.

First concert you ever attended
Brilliant gig by a brilliant Irish group Horslips. They’ve now disbanded: no pun intended.

Last time you bought someone flowers
I bought myself some this week. Yes, it has come to that.

First object you’d save from your burning home
After checking that the cats have escaped, I’d grab a fabulous triptych I have by Hughie O’Donoghue.

Last funny thing you saw online
Sean Hayes doing a lip sync video. He knocks these out of the park any time he does one.

First job
Receptionist to a chiropodist in Galway, Ireland, where I grew up.

Last person you fantasized about
Ruth Wilson: I have a big girl crush on her.

First word you spoke
Dadadadadada: apparently I haven’t shut up since.

Last crime you committed
I am not generally the crime-committing type.

First book you read for a second time
This is only a recent thing, as I don’t normally read any book twice (unless I’m editing one of my own). But it was *3On Green Dolphin Street*2 by Sebastian Faulks.

Last song at your funeral
Haven’t fully decided yet as I don’t really fancy dying, but probably ‘Tonight We Fly’ by the Divine Comedy.

First person you’d thank in an award acceptance speech
Whoever was brave enough to have given me the job.

Last thing you recommended to someone
The One Green Planet website: great for vegetarians and vegans (I’m trying both at the moment as are lots of pals).

First thing you think of when you wake up in the morning
The loo: it’s an age thing.

Last thing you think of before you go to sleep
Did I go to the loo enough today?

East is East, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Mon 10--Sat 15 Aug

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