Will Young is executive director of the Royal Court Theatre — 70 years old this year, still the most vital writers’ theatre in London, still gloriously unpredictable, and currently marking the occasion with an Anya Hindmarch chocolate bar and a season of plays to match. His own preoccupations are no less eclectic: he reads neurology for fun, once got halfway through a Foreign Office application, and has located what he considers Chelsea’s definitive cheese toastie.

Read on for his current obsessions — from home-fermented kimchi, and communing with lemurs, to the cooking show he’s been glued to — then visit royalcourttheatre.com to book tickets for this year’s season.

I’m Reading…
Right now I’m halfway through Our Brains, Our Selves by Masud Husain, a book about developments in neurology which came out last year. I find the connection between the fragile physical biology of our brains and our ephemeral sense of personhood fascinating. It’s an area of science where we’re still learning – and guessing – about so many aspects of something fundamental to who we are as people.

The last thing I bought and cherished…
My most treasured recent purchase is the family London Zoo membership card. We go about once a month; it’s great for my toddler, but also a proper oasis of nature and connection in the middle of the city, and a conservation zoo that really cares for the animals, many of whom are increasingly unsafe in the wild. I could sit in silence with the lemurs for hours; they’re wonderful. 

My fridge is never without…
Home-fermented kimchi. We recently got together with some friends to make a huge shared batch, so now I’m never without a jar of pungent flavour. It’s great fun as a communal activity, and given the amount of mess and washing-up involved in making it, way more efficient to do it in quantity!

I’m watching…
The new series of Professional Masterchef – one of this year’s contestants is the husband of a colleague at the Royal Court, so we’re all very invested. As I write, he’s just got through the quarter-finals…

I’m known for…
Seeming pretty serious and focused about work, but being in Chelsea is lightening me up a little – getting involved in Chelsea in Bloom last year and now the phenomenal Anya Hindmarch’s Royal Court Chocolate Bar have been lovely moments to indulge in the more fun side of the local area. 

When no one is around, I like to…
Listen to loud contemporary jazz, which isn’t something you can reasonably impose on others without their prior consent. Currently, that includes the new albums by Linda May Han Oh and Vijay Iyer, who I also saw live last month – I find the sheer invention and intelligence of their music completely stimulating, in a way that allows my mind to switch off from everything else.

The one possession I’d rescue first…
There’s a poster on the wall of my office from a Royal Court season in the 1970s. It includes Edward Bond’s play Saved, originally banned by the Lord Chamberlain, in part for its depictions of violence, and which became a legal flashpoint in the campaign to end formal censorship in the UK. Immediately after, the poster advertises Clowning: A Special Christmas Show! That contrast and eclecticism totally sums up what I love about the Royal Court’s history – I’d be pretty sad to lose it, and in the event of a fire, I’d be tempted to grab it off the wall on my way out.

Had things taken a different turn, I might have been…
For a while, I thought I wanted to work in the Foreign Office. I think I imagined it would be exciting and glamorous, but halfway through the application form, I realised I was likely wrong and gave up. I think my heart always belonged to pursuing a career in theatre, but I tried to at least consider more sober options first.

What I wish I’d understood earlier…
The thrill and grace of Alpine skiing. I turned it on by accident during this year’s Winter Olympics and now I’m regretting all the years I’ve missed out. Italy’s Federica Brignone’s gold medal run in the giant slalom was a sight to behold.

My non-negotiable indulgence is…
On very special occasions, or when we’ve finished a major production or project, I treat myself to one of the cheese toasties from London Cheesemongers on Pavilion Road. They’re the best I’ve ever tasted, and their proprietary blend of cheeses is the perfect combination of richness and tang, served with a big pile of cornichons on the side. Outrageously good.

My mental health would suffer without…
Regular sofa cuddles with our cat, Mutsa. There is no better therapy, nor any better friend, than a great cat (or even a mediocre one: cats are the best).

The grooming staple I always have in stock…
I’m a dreadful person to ask about grooming. The honest answer is probably my trusty bar of Imperial Leather soap, which I believe is all a person really needs.

I’m thinking about...
I recently saw the fantastic revival of Sondheim’s musical Into The Woods at the Bridge Theatre. It’s a dark, intricate mash-up of fairytales told for adult audiences. The refrain of one of the final songs is Careful The Things You Say: Children Will Listen. It’s a simple thought made powerful by the show’s story and music, and it’s now been stuck in my ears – resonating uncomfortably with a lot of our wider politics and media.

My favourite local restaurant is…
How could I choose anywhere other than Anya’s Café? It’s such a unique, stylish and welcoming place, and having now also met Anya there and in doing so made a new local friend and cultural connection, it holds a special place.

The place in Chelsea that means a lot to me…
Honestly, I have to say the Royal Court Theatre – it’s so much more than a workplace to me. In my first years after moving to London, I saw almost every show by buying the 10p standing tickets. It changed how I thought about theatre, and about life in the city. The journey to Sloane Square always felt like a bit of a pilgrimage, so for it now to be my daily commute is something extraordinary.