Quite often, people say to me, ‘I couldn’t possibly have you to dinner, you’re the chef of the river café, cooking for you would be overwhelming.’ That’s how I feel about introducing Sir David Hare. How do you write for one of the greatest writers of our generation? Whether he's scripting acclaimed plays like Skylight, Plenty, Stuff Happens, or movies like The White Crow, Denial, or The Reader, David is nothing short of a master of the written word.

But I do think David and I have much in common. We both like being hosts; me, in The River Cafe, and David at his home, where he understands the theatre of sitting at a table. We both know that if food brings a table to life, so do the people around it.

Today, we are here together in the River Cafe to talk about food, memories, theatre, travel and more. It would be natural to feel overwhelmed, but David makes it easy, and I just feel delighted, and lucky, to have him here.

Ruthie's Table 4 is made in partnership with Moncler.