David Rattigan, a third-year historian at Robinson College, made his Cambridge theatre debut as a performer in Matt and Marc’s Shot in the Dark last March. Since then he has gone on to assume directorial roles in shows as diverse as Woody Allen’s Riverside Drive and the experimental play KNOTS, which he also performed in and co-wrote. This term, he is directing Joe Orton’s The Ruffian on the Stair, a darkly-comic play set in post-war Britain.

Which three words best describe The Ruffian on the Stair?
Assassin, ex-prostitute and hairdresser, the play’s three disparate protagonists. They shouldn’t be sharing a stage, but they are, which makes for interesting drama when they rub shoulders. It’s like I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, but hopefully better.

What first attracted you to The Ruffian on the Stair as a play?
The characters, because they’re so interesting and strange. But I also like the historical setting. The play was written in the 1960s, and whilst Orton never specifically references a date, it’s wrapped up in the issues of that time. I don’t think you can easily divorce it from the decade, which is why we’ve set it back when Orton was writing. Although I suppose you could set it in the future, if you wanted: The Robot on the Stair.

What’s the best thing about Cambridge theatre?
The auditions are my favourite. I like to throw mad improvisation scenarios at people when they enter the room. “Pretend you’re a firefighter but your hose keeps squirting out custard.” “Pretend you’re being chased by a clockwork dog.” Everybody seems to enjoy it.

What’s the worst thing about Cambridge theatre?
It’s very busy. It can be very stressful.

Which director do you most admire and why?
I really like Quentin Tarantino. Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained are two of my favourite movies for their satirical distortion of history, which is sort of what we’re doing with The Ruffian on the Stair.

Which play would you most like to direct?
I think a theatrical adaptation of Back to the Future would be fun. It could be a musical. I mean, if Shrek the Musical got funding, why not something actually good, eh?

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
I keep listening to Romania’s Eurovision entry, a song called It’s My Life. I’m not sure if I’m guilty about that, actually. It’s fantastic. It should be the Romanian national anthem. Maybe even the British national anthem – why not?

What is your dream job?
I’d really like to be an astronaut. I was thinking how I can’t wait for us all to move to Mars or the moon or wherever because at least there are no flies there. I hate flies. But I’d be a terrible astronaut. I’m scared of heights for one, and the really fast take-off would freak me out – what if the G-force ripped my face off or something?

What inspires you?
Recently I’ve been watching a lot of Breaking Bad and playing a lot of Grand Theft Auto V. Both are excellent, and I’ve felt really energised and excited after spending time on them. Worryingly, they’re also both about criminals. I don’t know what that says about me. Maybe if my career in space doesn’t work out, I could become a bank robber.

What is the nicest thing someone has said to you?
A stranger once said I look like Joseph Gordon-Levitt. They were about to have their eyes tested at an opticians, though, so I don’t trust their judgement.

The Ruffian on the Stair is on at the Corpus Playroom from 8th – 12th October.

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