MAMMA MIA: Sophie Harris
Sophie Harris was born with a passion to perform. Christchurch’s favourite rising theatre chameleon, who landed the lead of Sophie Sheridan in Showbiz’s MAMMA MIA! and Charlie’s love interest Lauren in Kinky Boots, shares stories of the stage with Metropol Deputy Editor Nina Tucker.
Every childhood dream placed Sophie in front of an audience or camera, yet the misconception between performing as a career or hobby held her back for a long time. “I felt like I always had to be something, and then perform on the side.”
As she grew, she learned there are millions of ways to be creative – it would just take hard work and patience. Determining whether she would be a professional dancer, stage or screen actor, choreographer, or musical theatre performer was troubling. “Little did I know, you can dabble in it all,” Sophie laughs. “I wish I could tell younger me all the incredible opportunities and cool experiences we’ve had, I think she would be stoked.”
Athleticism in her genes from national cricketing grandfather Zin and father Chris, an accomplished runner for an uncle and her mother a sporting all-rounder, it would seem Sophie’s path was already paved for her. “Performing is a bit of a new thing for my family,” Sophie shares, yet that unfamiliarity quickly vanished.
Despite relentless singing in the kitchen and constant rearranging of furniture to give space for dance practice, Sophie’s family are her biggest fans. At every show, often more times than one, is Sophie’s own fan club.
“I couldn’t ask for a better family, they are my absolute pride and joy.” Then, there’s the homage she pays to the all those she performs with, Cashmere High School, and former drama teacher Shaun Edwards-Brown. “He was the most supportive force of nature,” one who sat with Sophie for hours talking auditions, agents, and the plethora of career paths.
So much hustle goes into the moments Sophie spends on stage. “Auditioning is the worst part,” she reveals. Sophie avoids dreaming of the role to avoid disappointment, yet callbacks make that tricky. Extensive research of the part leads her to fall in love with the character, causing her to “fall into a huge pit of anxiety,” on the outcome of the audition. “I was utterly riddled with anxiety heading into my Sophie Sheridan callback. But, part of this industry is knowing that if you don’t get the part, it’s okay. Sometimes it can be for something totally out of your control like your height or your shoe size,” Sophie admits. Naturally, the phone call that confirmed her casting had her in a ball of tears, followed by many happy phone calls. “I was so grateful to be given the chance and I was so devoted to taking care of her [character].”
Crafting her own version of the role portrayed so lovingly by Amanda Seyfried was a challenge. She references a Johnny Depp quote, “With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it’s just not acting. It’s lying.” Sophie explains it’s easy to find elements of herself in the characters she’s landed lately. “Being a young woman, trying to find their way in life and overcome some big challenges, it’s pretty easy for me to relate to characters like Sophie and Lauren.” She hopes to play Sophie Sheridan again before she’s too old.
The incredible voice and melodic sound Sophie shared with audiences of MAMMA MIA! never exposed itself as one of her biggest insecurities. Singing Slipping Through My Fingers on closing night with Sarah Kelly as Donna is already one of Sophie’s career highlights. “There were a lot of tearful rehearsals that made that scene feel like magic.”
Surrounded by stimulation, Sophie spends her spare time at a much slower pace. Crochet, true crime podcasts, runs with her border collie, and easy dinners with friends before cosying up on the couch. It is important she allows herself moments of calm, in between countless hours of rehearsing, teaching dance, and rolling out her feet, calves, and shoulders.
S
he’s rolling out new dreams too, without facing too much pressure and losing the love for it all. “I want to keep that spark in me that yearns for the next creative adventure.” Whether we see her next on screen, in a director’s seat, or choreographing the leading dance scene, I guess we will have to find out.
SOPHIE ON…
Managing anxiety: Rough times calls for Sophie and her boyfriends’ ‘Fruit Day’. They clear a day in the calendar, deep clean the house, and the night before stock up on indulgent fruits. “Lychees, mangoes, berries, any exciting thing they have got.” When they wake, phones are turned off and fruit is devoured. “It feels like it restarts my brain. As much as I’d like to say something inspirational, my real solution is to treat myself to a big day of nothing but fruit.”
Entering a new role: Compare it with making a new friend. From awkward first run-throughs of the show, to becoming comfortable with each other over time. She describes introducing the show to the lighting, wardrobe, and sound crews, like introducing a new friend to family. “By the time opening night comes around, our team is best friends with the show so much that we share it with everyone.”
