A cast off no more

Following her triumph as Gabriella in Channel 4’s Cast Offs, Sophie Woolley shows she’s no one trick pony. With other writing and performing credits to her name, she now tells us why she may have to make a pact with the devil and why she’d like to be Howard Hughes

What’s the best thing about being Deaf?
I’m on a plane, a baby is crying next to me, I switch off my hearing aids and feel smug. But looking at the bigger picture, I’m far happier now that I’m deaf than I was when I was hearing. So my hearing loss must be doing something right. Thanks genes!

What makes you angry?
Check out that Deaf Faker woman (on YouTube). She is so conceited and punchable. Grr.

What is the funniest or strangest thing someone has said to you about your deafness?
I was at a party on Saturday and someone said “how is it for you, being deaf, how does it feel?”, which made me laugh out loud in an “oh gawd” sort of way. Then I replied, “It feels lovely, it’s going really well”.

If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you do to improve life for disabled people?
The cruellest thing happening right now is the proposed cut to mobility allowance. Shame on the Coalition. Shame on them.

What do you love most about what you do?
Being the master of my imagination.

What do you least like about it?
There is so much I want to do creatively, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day. I might have to sell my soul to the devil in exchange for immortality in order to get everything done in time for Armageddon.

Who is your favourite disabled person ever and why?
There is only one answer to questions like this and that is always, always Nelson Mandela. I think he wears hearing aids now.

If you could do any job in the world, what would it be and why?
I’d like a job as Howard Hughes. He was a filthy rich, American aviator, engineer, industrialist, film producer, director, philanthropist. And deaf.

Do you have any special or hidden talents?
I have no hidden talent. It is all manifest.

How would you sum yourself up in ten words or less?
Brilliant.