The Tempest of Lyme...An interview with Sophie Thomas

Sophie Thomas is one of our Ariels. Let's learn more about her...

Have you always wanted to perform?

I have always loved theatre, film… all things dramatic! When I left the University of York having studied History, I decided to forge a career behind the scenes and, after brief work experience on Broadchurch, started work as a Floor Runner on the television series Doc Martin. It wasn’t until I was on set on the first day, watching all the actors arrive, their interactions with the director, that I decided acting was something I really wanted to pursue.


How did you get started?

Well I turned down a very exciting Production job on BBC’s Wolf Hall in order to take a slightly less exciting office job that was flexible enough for me to start building my acting experience and training. I took weekend classes at Pinewood Studios, London and Bristol for a year before the opportunity to continue my studies in Paris presented itself!

You spent some time in Paris recently, ostensibly studying/working! How did that work out?

I spent last year at L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq studying theatre and acting which was an incredible experience. The training was based around the pedagogy of Jacques Lecoq which focuses on physical theatre, movement and mime. One of the most enjoyable aspects was that each week we worked in small groups to create a short piece of theatre based on a given theme using inspiration from our lessons. Nearly every week our small creations were torn to pieces by our exacting teachers (by exacting I mean brutal) who left us in no doubt of our errors, and on our own when it came to finding solutions. It has given me a great respect for the creative process and I now see the stage as a place of infinite possibilities to explore.

How are you enjoying the experience of rehearsing for The Tempest of Lyme?

It has been really fantastic! There are so many wonderful people involved in the project, most importantly Clemmie whose vision and direction are the driving force behind the production. I hope to direct in the future, certainly create my own work and I have definitely learnt a great deal from her and this experience. This is my first Shakespeare production and I couldn’t imagine doing it with anyone else! It has been a real journey for everyone and I shall miss seeing all the wonderful people involved each week when we are done!

All the Ariels seem to be bonding so well together. Would you agree with that?

As we are playing one character, with a very physical approach to the part, it has been essential that we work well together in order to create the sense of one entity.

And the future? Do you see yourself performing? Writing? Or?

I have already mentioned my interest in directing and creating my own theatre! Primarily I see myself performing. I start rehearsals after The Tempest for a new play, “Eggs”, written by Rachel Besser which will be performed at the Cygnet Theatre in Exeter in September by Tree Shadow Theatre Productions. It deals with the challenging and sometimes controversial subject of Fertility and will definitely be a challenging piece as each actor involved will be playing multiple roles. We hope to go on tour in the New Year. If anyone would like more information about the production… visit http://www.treeshadowtheatreproductions.co.uk/news/new-writing-to-be-performed-in-exeter-this-september/ . I am also writing my first play although this is proving to be a lengthy process with frequent periods of writers block!

Thanks, Sophie!