As I arrive to interview Sophie Okonedo at an arts centre in north London, I catch her having a bit of a moment on the steps outside. Her eyes closed, her winter coat on and earphones in, she stands leaning against the wall, dead to the world.
Was she centring herself? Girding her loins for an inquisition? No, she says when we meet (indoors) a few moments later, she was learning her lines. For the first of several times she bursts into self-mocking laughter. Okonedo likes to record herself reading her part, then wander around listening to it. Letting the words soak in slowly, without conscious effort. It’s not everyone’s approach, but it works for her, an actress who is excellent precisely because you never