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You've just opened at Hampstead with The President's Holiday, a brand new play. How did it go and what are your thoughts on the reviews? "The opening went well, but the critics' reviews have been pretty mixed. Some were a little harsh, not so much for the actors but more the play."

It sounds a fascinating subject for a play though. Tell us a little about The President's Holiday "The story is such an interesting one. People think they know what happened to Mr and Mrs Gorbachev in 1981, but this is the domestic side of it taken from the diaries of Raisa Gorbachev. She genuinely thought she was going to be shot, her and her husband, plus their daughter and son-in-law and their grandchildren were with them. She thought they were all going to be shot. All communications with the outside world were shut down and they were surrounded. It's a real thriller. It's the most realistic account of what it was like for them. For example they thought their food was being poisoned so Raisa and their daughter Irina, who is a doctor, were rationing food that had been at the house for some time, before the other people arrived. They couldn't call anyone and no one knew they were there for three days."

Do you find it a bigger challenge to take on the role of a real person rather than a character? "Yes. You want to do them justice. I really want to bring Raisa's story across in the right way. She was a remarkable woman. She was strong for her husband. They met at university and she was intellectually on a par with him. Raisa was a very clever woman and they were an incredible support to each other. She became ill shortly after all this and never really recovered. They had a real struggle, but they got through it together and were very much a team."

What's it like starring alongside your real-life husband Julian Glover? "Patrick Sandford (the director) approached Julian and I and we thought about it and thought it would be an interesting idea for a real husband and wife to play a husband and wife. In 2008 we will have been married 40 years. I think having a working and emotional relationship helps, much like it did for the Gorbachevs. There are lots of short cuts we can use with each other in rehearsal and on stage and advice we can give without the other taking offence. The only thing is you're also always worrying about the other person and I worry about Julian as this is the most enormous part. It's on a par with King Lear I would say. But it's been lovely to be together."

TV or theatre? "A bit of variety is good, but to be honest I will always come back to the theatre. It's more immediate and you can really connect with the audience. The evening is shared between you. Every night is different. But stage, TV and film are all enjoyable in different ways."

What's been the proudest moment of your career? "Actually it was working with Julian again and our son Jamie Glover, who's been in Waterloo Road. He and I and Julian did Hamlet together in a tiny theatre in Norwich. That, in a way, was the proudest thing as it was really enjoyable and we all did it rather well. Apart from that, a TV series The House of Cards which was a really good little drama. Plus this time last year Mrs Lintott in The History Boys which was sensational. It was on at the Wyndham Theatre for 12 weeks and there were queues every single night. I'd never seen anything like it."

You've obviously been a great source of wisdom to your son. What advice would you offer aspiring actors? "You should only do it if there's nothing else you can ever think about doing. It's such a difficult profession. Be prepared for all sorts of reactions, it seems to be so arbitrary. It's just if your face fits. You've got to be passionate about it. There's a big difference between the idea of being a star. If you really want to be an actor, that won't concern you."

How do you relax away from work? "I don't really! The trouble with this business is once you have some time off, you're always worrying about the next job! I do quite a lot of writing. I've just finished a book which I'm in the process of setting up with a publisher. It's not an autobiography, but as I was born and brought up in India, it's about my childhood there and the end of the British Raj."

Isla is in The President's Holiday at The Nuffield until Saturday, March 8. Tickets cost £10-£17. Box office: 023 8067 1771 or nuffieldtheatre.co.uk.

2:57pm Friday 22nd February 2008

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	Entertainments editor Lorelei Reddin Tel:023 8042 4877 Email: lorelei.reddin@soton-echo.co.uk
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