Richard breaks for lunch at 1.30 pm. He has organised recording so that the actors do about a page of script at a time. Typically this is 8 speeches - perhaps a minute of recording. Only the actors involved in the scene are in the studio, and go to the green room when not recording. This is essential to keep fresh, and to revise the next lines.
Lunch is the most crucial break of all.
The first three and a half hours in the studio makes big demands on the actors' concentration, and it's a welcome chance to unwind. Over lunch, Frances is very funny, Aden quietly humorous, and there's a relaxed mood round the table. The young actors have gone off hoping there's a Macdonald's in New Cross - with chaperone. More actors arrive for the afternoon session. Her expertise creates three totally different roles during the afternoon.