My perfect weekend: soap and stage actor Ian Reddington

If I'm doing a theatre show I'm thinking 'oh no I've still got three shows to go!' If I'm not, I'm thinking of all the running around I'll have to do with the kids. In the middle of that I'll be thinking about the Sheffield Wednesday game.

Who normally has the pleasure of your company at the weekend?

If I'm not working, then the family gets my time. The various clubs they go to, the dog to walk. If I'm on stage then they don't see me Saturday and I'm a zombie on Sunday.

How do you prepare for a big night out?

As you get older your powers of recovery diminish so I would be taking it easy in preparation. Decide what my hair was going to do. Maybe work on a few moves in front of the mirror. . .

What's your favourite party outfit?

Anything that makes me look like I belong to the same era as everyone else, "casual smart" usually covers most things. I quite fancy a Morph Suit as long as everyone else was wearing one.

You've just arrived at the bar. What's your first drink?

Beer and beer. If it's real ale even better. At a push, a bottle of tasteless lager. I don't really do spirits and I'm not a big lover of wine. Really I should be 18 stone with a beard.

What is your favourite nightspot and why?

My nightclubbing now is limited to the odd VIP invitation. But back in the day I loved Isabella's in Sheffield, The Dug Out in Bristol, Julie's Newcastle and The Venue or The Hippodrome in London. Remember, when you've found someone nightclubs tend to make no sense.

What tune always gets you on the dance floor?

Any Stevie Wonder track usually gets my juices going. I'm a bit of a soul boy so if it's Motown it's My Town (geddit?) Something Old School like The Four Tops or The Temptations. Having said that I also quite like rap so Jay Z would be good.

It's a sunny Saturday. What are you up to?

If I'm in a show, I'll be complaining that I'm not out in the sun. If I'm not working, I'll be wishing I was. I could be at a Sheffield Wednesday game if I'm very lucky. Most likely I'll be stuck in a shopping mall.

What's your most memorable weekend ever and why?

The thing to remember about my profession is that you lose the sense of a "weekend" because of the work. It was one of the first things I noticed when I started. Most people are out on the lash while I'm in make-up under lights. I like a good festival and have had great weekends at Glastonbury and The Hop Farm.

What's the recipe for a perfect night in?

It would have to be in winter otherwise there's no reason to be in. The old log fire crackling. A James Stewart black and white film. If the GB Women's Athletics Team were there it would be a bonus.

Favourite DVD? And what would you eat while watching it?

Listen – there's watching films and there's eating. One is done with your brain, the other with your mouth. If your brain is where your mouth is, then you're in trouble. I like the kind of film that absorbs me so eating would be out.

Sunday breakfast – cooked or continental?

It would definitely be cooked. I once described myself in three words as FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST – my outlook on life, my origins and my favourite meal. Wherever I am in the world I always like to try the local sausage.

Sunday lunch – home-cooked or down the pub?

I love a carvery as much as the next man. What I don't want is some overpriced experiment at a "bistro pub". I enjoy cooking a good roast. We used to have a butchers shop when I was a kid.

Where and how do you like to relax?

Relaxing? How does that work? I gave that up years ago. I find it very hard to keep still. Having built my own house, I can no longer sit without seeing something that needs doing!

You've got a whole weekend off and a wad of money in your back pocket - which country or city would you head to?

I would head to Venice – one of the world's most unique places. I nearly bought a flat there once and still regret not doing it. Now that's where I could relax! I'm off. . .

* Ian is starring in Bouncers at The Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton from Tuesday, October 2, until Saturday, October 6.