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REviews & testimonials

DIRECTING

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

“Director Sarah Thorpe evokes everything from the chilly, spartan offices of Scrooge & Marley, to the spacious second-floor main room, site of the long-ago Fezziwig holiday party … The young, socially

awkward Ebenezer (Michael Hogan) meets modest shop worker Belle (Heather

Marie Annis), and we see their charming courtship, contrasted a few minutes

later with their relationship’s eventual dissolution. The subtle work the two

actors do here – and the way they’re directed – is just heartbreaking." -

NNNNN, NOW Magazine (2019)

"Director Sarah Thorpe nails every aspect. The insightful use of the space is

enhanced by subtle decisions in the various supernatural effects." - My

Entertainment World (2019)

"Accompanying Haigh's great script is a simple, effective staging under

director Sarah Thorpe. The walk-around production, set in the Campbell House Museum, takes great advantage of its location to show the past, present and future of Scrooge ... The lessons are simple and still relevant today, which speaks to the genius of Dickens as well as Haigh and Thorpe's innovation in bridging the gaps between when the tale was written and now." - BroadwayWorld Toronto (2019)

"Director Sarah Thorpe has a firm grip on the daunting logistics and has added an emphasis on the comic possibilities." - Drew Rowsome Blog (2019)

"Sarah Thorpe's sensitive direction makes efficient use of the space ... One particular staging detail in the upstairs bedroom adds a frisson of horror to the proceedings.” - NNNN, NOW Magazine (2018)

"Directed with an assured vision by Sarah Thorpe, who elicits a uniformly strong ensemble performance from her outstanding cast" - SesyaArts Magazine (2018)

“Director Sarah Thorpe and her cast can be truly proud of what they’ve accomplished here.” - My Entertainment World (2018)

"Director Sarah Thorpe is such a sensitive, creative director who uses the gift of setting the story in Campbell House Museum to its full advantage ... Thorpe has set each scene in each room with economy, theatricality and clarity.” - Slotkin Letter (2018)

LOVE IS A POVERTY YOU CAN SELL II: KISSES FOR A PFENNIG

“A Success” - NNNN, NOW Magazine

“Soup Can Theatre has managed the impressive task of improving upon the first

iteration of their 2010 Fringe hit with this sequel, which immerses its audience in

the sordid cabaret culture of 1920s Berlin” - ★★★★★, Torontoist

“Directed and choreographed by Sarah Thorpe ... achieved this combination of

old and more recent [songs].  The universals of the Weimar cabarets – their

sexual & political edginess, their dark themes — don’t fade away.“ - Barcza

Blog

LOVE IS A POVERTY YOU CAN SELL

“Most impressive: director Sarah Thorpe successfully creates a seductive Weimar-era ambiance in the cramped Bread & Circus - no mean feat" - NNNNN, NOW Magazine (TO Fringe 2010)

"Director Sarah Thorpe ... also provided the choreography. She is smart. Stylish serves the music and the mood of the piece and I want to see more of her work." - Slotkin Letter (Next Stage 2012)

“As far as visuals and staging go, Thorpe honours Soup Can’s artistic objectives - 'merging classic works with contemporary stagecraft' - by adapting to and reinventing Factory’s peculiar theatrical space.“ - The Toronto Review of Books (Next Stage 2012)

“Note-perfect … Constantly Delights” - ★★★★, Eye Weekly (TO Fringe 2010)

"A wholly immersive experience" - Torontoist (TO Fringe 2010)

NO EXIT

“Thorpe gets steady performances out of this talented cast … Another

adventurous offering from one of Toronto’s most interesting young theatre

companies.” - ★★★★ ½, Theatromania

“Extremely Entertaining … Dark and Very Funny!" - Mooney On Theatre

MARAT/SADE

“It’s Hard not to be Blown Away by This Young Company’s Strength and

Ambition” - ★★★★★, Theatromania

“Sarah Thorpe's direction of this challenging meta-theatrical work deserves huge

credit for the success of the production“ - The Blog of Jenna Rocca

"A wicked piece of theatre" - BlogTO

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Photo: Graham Isador

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Photo: Scarlet O'Neill

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Photo: LV Imagery

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ACTING

HERETIC

“A mesmerizing one-woman show" - Mooney On Theatre

 “Thorpe’s retelling of the story of Joan of Arc makes this iconic figure seem

fresh and new.  One major reason is the absolute simplicity of the production. 

Another is the winning naturalness of Thorpe’s acting. Thorpe gives an eloquent

performance that rises to enacting energetic battles that range throughout the

entire theatre to solemn reflection on whether she is really guilty of pride" - 

★★★★, Stage Door

“Thorpe succeeds in this modern retelling of history. Playing the heroine and a

baker’s dozen of supporting roles, Thorpe readily soars through her tautly

written scenes with authority, compassion and just the right amount of pathos” -

James Wegg Review

“Powerful  …  A winning one-woman show  …  Thorpe shine[s]. She brilliantly slips out of Joan’s skin and into a slew of others.  …  Thorpe’s talent extends beyond the stage and onto the page. Her exploration of Joan humanizes the saint as the audience feels her fear and fierceness” - The Theatre Reader

THE GUT GIRLS

"Thorpe gives a strong, impassioned performance as Ellen, who tirelessly

attempts to spread awareness of workers’ rights and the benefits of unionizing;

as Priscilla, she blossoms from mousy wallflower to a caring and assertive

mentor" - Life With More Cowbell

 

BEHOLD, THE BARFLY!

"Sarah is a unicorn. She has the ability to go from childlike

performance to psychotic terror within a short time span.  Sarah

embodies her roles and you forget that she's an actor." - Ponderings of a Puppethead

THE THREEPENNY OPERA

"Thorpe gave easily the best performance I’ve seen from her as

Low-Dive Jenny" - My Entertainment World
"Seductive and strong" - Mooney On Theatre

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Photo: Laura Dittmann

Photo: James Dalgarno

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Photo: Sarah Blostein

TESTIMONIALS

"I ran across some hastily scribbled notes to myself the other day about the expectations of an artist: 'Work hard! Have fun!! Remain open! Risk much!'. As my student and as a theatre practitioner now, Sarah Thorpe is the poster person for these attributes. Sarah labours with ferocity, infects others with her arduous play, keeps the creative tap wide open, and steadfastly bares her heart and soul in her abiding love for every aspect of theatre."

- Mark Wilson, teacher/director/actor

"Sarah is the best kind of artist; it encompasses her. She lives and breathes it and it shows in her professionalism and in the passion she exudes in everything she does."

- Tracey Beltrano, actor/producer

"A pretty remarkable theatre-maker ... Consistently impressive ... Refreshingly unafraid"

- My Entertainment World

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