Desert Island Discs

Besides choosing the eight records he would take to the mythical island, Sir Ralph Richardson talks to Roy Plomley about his early life in an insurance office, about some of the many films and plays in which he has acted, and about the National Theatre where he was appearing at the time.Favourite track: Clarinet Concerto in A by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: Novels by Henry James Luxury: Pipes and tobacco

Roy Plomley's castaway is pianist Dame Moura Lympany.Favourite track: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor by Felix Mendelssohn Book: Book about growing flowers and vegetables on a desert island Luxury: Wine from own vineyard

Roy Plomley's castaways are scriptwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.Favourite track: You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin Book: Teach yourself the guitar and Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne Luxury: Cards and a guitar

Roy Plomley's castaway is historian C Northcote Parkinson.Favourite track: The Old Hundredth by Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II Book: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon Luxury: Radio receiver

Roy Plomley's castaway is choreographer Glen Tetley.Favourite track: Laudamus Te by Claudio Monteverdi Book: Earthly Paradise by Colette Luxury: South American hammock

Roy Plomley's castaway is baritone Tito Gobbi.Favourite track: La Montanara by Tito Gobbi Book: Flowers of the World by Leslie Greenwood Luxury: Bar of gold

Roy Plomley's castaway is the writer Ed McBain.Favourite track: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor by Sergei Rachmaninov Book: Streets of Gold by Ed McBain Luxury: Whisky

Roy Plomley's castaway is former Brain Of Britain and radio personality Irene Thomas.Favourite track: Soave Sia Il Vento by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: Score of the opera Fidelio by Beethoven Luxury: Teddy bear stuffed with tea bags

Roy Plomley's castaway is actor Ian Carmichael.Favourite track: Adagio (from Spartacus) by Aram Khachaturian Book: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Luxury: Paper and pencils

Roy Plomley's castaway is patron of music Sir Robert Mayer.Favourite track: An Die Musik by Franz Schubert Book: His visitors' book Luxury: Grapes (seedless)