My first glimpse of Sara Topham was from across a parking lot. She's heading towards me in a hurried pace. I comment to the security guard at the stage door entrance that I hope Sara isn't rushing for our appointment as she is on time. The guard says `Sara always looks like she's in a rush to get somewhere` and I realize this Audrey Hepburn of the stage is a woman with a purpose.

By: Kindah Mardam Bey
September, 2007

My first glimpse of Sara Topham was from across a parking lot. She's heading towards me in a hurried pace. I comment to the security guard at the stage door entrance that I hope Sara isn't rushing for our appointment as she is bang on time. The guard says `Sara always looks like she's in a rush to get somewhere` and at that moment I realize this Audrey Hepburn of the stage is a woman with a purpose.

Not just an actress at the Stratford Festival Of Canada, but part of the Ivy League theatrical stock who takes the Festival Theatre stage in three productions this year (An Ideal Husband , King Lear , and Merchant Of Venice ). Topham is establishing herself as a major Canadian talent building the early stages of a long and respected career. Topham has an esteemed career working in multiple productions on stage and also acted across from the legendary Julie Andrews in Disney's Eloise At Christmastime. This season Topham is playing three major roles at The Stratford Festival Of Canada; Cordelia in King Lear, Jessica in The Merchant Of Venice (Graham Greene plays Shylock, her father) and Mabel Chiltern in An Ideal Husband. It is Topham's graceful heir that has landed her such substantial roles this season, showcasing women who are balanced between complexity and simplicity, between peacefulness, playfulness and turmoil; all of her characters have a layer beneath a layer.

So as I'm introduced to Topham, with her slight physique, she tells me we are wearing a similar type of top, and takes me through the labyrinth of the back stage to the cafeteria as if we had done so many times before; like an old school chum visiting. This confident and sweet-natured presence doesn't merely lurk in the wings, but is also brought to the stage every night. Topham doesn't appear to be willowy in any way, she is very centered which might have something to do with her past. 

After a short career in ballet, Topham realized her passion for acting could be a stronger and longer career. However, the skills she obtained as a ballerina has brought both strengths and weaknesses to her acting career.

"The strengths far out weigh the weaknesses. On the plus side ballet has allowed me a comfort and control of my body, I am more aware of how my body moves on stage then most actors might without any dance training prior. Also, period acting isn't a problem as corsets and tutus have the same restrictive nature. I also can walk quietly in heels (which is a hard skill to learn if you haven't done so before). Ballet has a great ‘old world quality' to it, but I did have to fight things such as breathing like a ballerina on stage and walking like a duck! It's all about taking what's of value and leaving the rest behind." 

I now have a grasp of why Topham has such elegance to her movements. Its not just the dancing that has helped evolve Topham's acting style, but also a stint at the Birmingham Conservatory, set up by the Stratford Festival Of Canada; think of this as theatre boot camp (no, a reality show does not exist around it!).

Topham loved this experience "To be with a group who are all equally passionate about the same part of the art form, such as text for example. You have phenomenal teachers and coaches guiding you along the way and the best part is that you are provided with a grab bag of tools to use throughout your career. Even things you are taught that you don't necessarily think are of value at the time; always seem to eventually become that key element that will help you connect with your character, or speech."

With a supreme reverence for the Festival, and the growth as an actress it has allowed her, Sara Topham explains to me what the best part of working at the Stratford Festival of Canada is for her. 

"I love the plays; being a part of a chain of history at Stratford. Bernard Hopkins (who plays the Fool in Lear) said to me ‘Do you know how many people have played Rosalind? Not that many.' The coaching staff are unbelievably supportive as well, I love the audiences of course...audience members say ‘I've been coming since 1962,' as if it is an annual pilgrimage for them and they adopt you along the way and follow your career. I also love the stage and can remember the first time I went barefoot onto the Festival Theatre stage, it was for a warm-up session. The space felt sacred to me. I thought of all those people who had been on that stage before me. I feel overwhelmed by it sometimes."  

Seeing as Sara Topham is acting in both Oscar Wilde and Shakespeare productions this year, I thought it ideal to ask her what the differences between performing the two were. Topham explains that they are very different forms of expression ‘the director of Lear, Brian Bedford, says that Shakespeare's language is something you ingest and consume which can be reborn out of us as we make it our own. Whereas Oscar Wilde's language is an art form in itself; speaking isn't just a form of communicating. Wilde's plays are full of epigrams. How do you connect that to the truth of the character? Wilde is complicated by that very fact. In some ways it can be harder to play Wilde then Shakespeare; to make the dialogue sound like more natural discussion. Shakespeare's plays are keenly focused on human nature, so the issues laid out by Shakespeare can appear more relevant to an audience today then Wilde with all his talking of frocks, and decorum. Either way you look at it though, the language for both writers is always rich, textured, and delightful to perform.'

She has also acted in both Christopher Plummer and Brian Bedford's versions of King Lear at Stratford. Admittedly Topham was an understudy in Plummer's version, but is Cordelia in Bedford's acted and directed version. Topham speaks of Bedford's ability to perform and direct simultaneously "This was such an enormous task for any actor - to direct yourself playing the lead. Bedford has a secret weapon as Bob Beard, Brian's assistant director (since 1968) is more involved than most, and is considered to be ‘Brian's eyes and ears.' Brian never asks more of you then he would do for himself, he challenges you and he is always saying ‘very good, I just think it could be better.' He also gives you space. When you receive a compliment from Brian, you have earned it. I can remember one day him saying to me ‘darling that was the best yet, I'm so proud of you.' The comment held so much weight I smiled the rest of the day."

Topham recently reached a milestone as she was thirty this year. I wandered if this was a time of reflection for her. She explains "Not really, I've been married for awhile to a wonderful husband who is not in the theatre. He is an elementary school teacher, and I find that he draws me out of myself and my own little world. I have had a lot of opportunities to grow in my twenties. I believe that luck is the moment when preparation meets opportunity. I have had a lot of opportunities but I have also made it my way to be prepared for those opportunities. You are your own instrument and when you dedicate your life to the theatre, you will get those opportunities. One only hopes those opportunities will keep coming. Sometimes you have to put what you want out there, no matter what age you are."  

Such a refreshing change of pace, determination and approach towards her skills has Sara Topham; it's not the typical ‘well put together' stereotype attached to actresses presently. She seems to have a clear understanding of where she is, where she is from, and where she wants to be, that must be why Sara Topham walks like she has ‘places to go.'

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Sara Topham's favourite performance to watch was Seanna McKenna playing Medea "I went and saw her perform that role about twelve or fifteen times!" 

Her favourite book: "I read a historical novel that was a trilogy about Josephine Bonaparte while I was in Paris once. As I was reading the book I would walk around Paris and see the places mentioned in the book. That was very special to me." She also tells what she is reading currently "An Equal Music by Vikram Seth which explores the relationship between the artist and their art. I am fascinated by the artist as a vessel to hold the art in."

Roles she wants to play in the future: "Any of Shakespeare's women, some Chekhov...It isn't so much what you are playing, but who you are embarking on the journey with"

Best advice: "Bernard Hopkins has recently gave me some great advice, one was ‘Be still. Be vigilant.' and the other is ‘stand farther back, you'll get a better view."

Sara Topham will be performing at the Stratford Festival of Canada in King Lear, An Ideal Husband and The Merchant of Venice until November and will be performing in The Turn Of The Screw in January and February 2008, at The Belfry in her hometown of Vancouver.

* Sara Topham will perform as Laurencia at the 2008 Stratford Festival Of Canada in Fuente Ovejuna. To learn more about the 2008 Stratford Season click here *