Our Press Officer Steve Pratt catches up with Laura Soper ahead of her role in the upcoming York Theatre Royal production of Little Women.
When the opportunity to audition for a new production of Little Women at York Theatre Royal arose, Laura Soper knew which of the sisters she wanted to play – Beth. Forget Amy, Meg and Jo. Beth was role that Laura, a former member of the theatre’s Youth Theatre, desired.
“I auditioned for Beth. I tried to be Beth. I thought about it when the audition came up and thought Beth is the one for me,” she recalls.
Director Juliet Forster obviously agreed having cast Laura as Beth in the production – an adaptation by Anne-Marie Casey of the Louise’s May Alcott coming-of-age classic opening on September 21.
“She’s shy, she’s the most introverted of the sisters. She’s a bit timid but also not overly ambitious. What’s most important to her is to have people around her that she loves and whom she cares about a lot,” says Laura.
She adds that Alcott wrote the ‘most beautiful’ description of Beth as follows: “There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind.”
Finding Beth’s character has been helped by Alcott devoting several pages in her novel to describing each sister. “I can do all my character research in the book,” adds Laura.
You can’t help but wonder if Laura is anything like Beth. “I’m told I wasn’t the most confident and wasn’t the first to volunteer myself to do things. I can understand that she has difficulty stepping forward and making her voice known,” says Laura.
“She has a rich imagination which, as an actor, I can relate to. It’s all part of the job. I like to think I do have a connection with Beth.”
There is another strong connection between actor and character – music. “Beth is really passionate about music and that’s what really drives her and she finds a way to express herself. She doesn’t really tell how she feels, keeping it to herself. How she can express herself is through music. I also love music and have done from an early age. I started learning the piano when I was 4. So I definitely connect with that side of her.”
She was introduced to Little Women the book by a friend at drama school. “I’d heard of it but never paid much attention to it as a child. Then I got into it as a teenager,” she explains. “I saw one of the television adaptations – I can’t remember which – and started watching others and fell in love with it. Now I’m reading the book. I had the scripts before the audition and now I’ve gone back to the source material.”
Both her parents are dedicated, long-serving members of York Opera and it was with that company that Laura made her first appearance on stage at the Theatre Royal in the children’s chorus. Then came the Youth Theatre, drama school and a return to the York theatre in productions of Swallows & Amazons and Hetty Feather.
She’ll be singing with other members of the March family in Little Women. “Singing is a way all the sisters can connect. They have different personalities and do fall out but come together around the piano with Marmee. That’s a lovely way they can connect,” she says.
Laura has spent much of the past six months touring in another theatre show based on a classic novel although as the title Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) suggests this is no straightforward costume drama – something York Theatre Royal audiences will see when the new tour of the West End hit comes to the theatre in November.
‘Unique and audacious’ and ‘irreverent but affectionate’ are phrases applied to the retelling of Jane Austen ‘s love story which features a string of pop classics as the cast fight over men, money and microphones. “It’s a real fusion of things which was really fun and what made people really get behind the show,” explains Laura, who won’t be in the new tour.
“Isobel McArthur, who wrote it, describes it as a love letter to the book. It’s funny, it’s a comedy. Most people could see it is quite true to the book and follows all the plot points. People who thought Jane Austen was a bit stuffy found it was funny and got really invested in the story.”
Laura understudied three roles and went on for two of the three during the run, including Elizabeth Bennet during the Leeds date which enabled family and friends to see her in the role.
This was her first experience of being an understudy and she points out the vast amount of work understudying involves. “It’s a lot of work and I hope people recognise the amount of work and skill it takes to be an understudy,” she says.
Before starting rehearsals for Little Women, Laura has been working in another costume role at Dover Castle. ‘Historical interpreter’ is the official name of this particular acting work. “It’s our job to bring the castle to life and educate people about the castle and make it fun. We play real characters in the storytelling. There is a lot of improvisation which is good for flexing those acting muscles,” she explains.
Of course it’s another costume role for her along with the admission that most of the work she’s done has been set in a time other than the present day. Not that she’s complaining: “There is something about the feel of those costumes that can transform you to a different world.”
Laura is ‘very excited’ to be returning to York Theatre Royal. “It’s been a while. There are a lot of happy memories connected with York Theatre Royal”.
Little Women: York Theatre Royal, 21 September to 12 October.
Box office 01904 623568 | yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
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