Today at Spotlight Magazine we’re featuring fireball British actress Sarah Cabrera in our Studio Spotlight segment. Sarah is well known for her versatile talent on screen and on the London stage. She’s recently expanded her creative portfolio, having directed a short film, Pause, which she wrote and starred in as well. We met up with Sarah to dive into her career path and to hear about what she has on tap for 2025.
Studio Spotlight: Let’s jump right in! Sarah, please tell us about your short film – how did you decide to create this project?
SC: Pause is a short film I shot during the pandemic which was intended as a love letter to the city of London. I really wanted to capture the mood of the moment. Prior to the pandemic, I was stuck indoors for months with an ankle injury, so I had experience with the feeling of being trapped at home by the time the pandemic rolled around. That led me to want to tell a story about what it was like outside, free from the interiors we’d all been confined to for months. While I shot in London, my hope was to organically tell a story that everyone could relate to from that time in the world, regardless of what city you were living in. It was important to me for the viewer to connect with the imagery based on their own experiences. My goal was for the film to reflect a moment in time that, for so many of us, is still difficult to put into words. In addition to focusing on my true passion, which has always been acting, directing for the first time was an energizing experience that allowed me to have a unique perspective on the creative process.
Studio Spotlight: So exciting that you’re stretching your creative muscles into directing as well! Yet you’re right that the way we all know you and your work is from your acting. On that note, I know that part of your acting journey has been your work with the award-winning London theatre company called Nothing 2 Perform – can you tell me about the company and how you got involved with them?
SC: Ah yes! Well, as a theatre maker, I like to work individually and collaboratively, working with expert practitioners. I enjoy pushing the boundaries and challenging the idea that theatre should be made in just one way. I think it’s exciting to experiment with different art forms, such as new media like virtual reality or alternate reality. I want to keep fighting for artistic relevance in today’s digital era while still keeping the traditional heart of theatre beating. This is what led me to Nothing 2 Perform (N2P) back in 2018. I loved their collaborative approach to creative fresh, relevant, and invigorating stage productions. I’ve done lots of work with N2P over the years, from facilitating, to research and development of new works, and to performing in a few shows myself. I greatly enjoyed starring in the N2P play Skeletons, from writer Damon Rochefort and directed by the wonderful Harriet Taylor. My role of Michelle had an intriguing balance of humor and intensity that was quite a delight to play. I tend to lap up anything that will stretch me as a performer and creative, which is why I was delighted to accept the offer of becoming one of N2P’s Associate Artists.
Studio Spotlight: Speaking of intensity, tell me about working on the film The Last Heist for Prime Video. That was a solid crime thriller with a lot of great tension.
SC: The Last Heist really was an exercise in tension from start to finish. Coz Greenop is an expert in the thriller genre and I learned a lot from him working on that film. The theatre is where my career began and will always be my first love, but movies give you a larger world to participate in and a different way to express yourself as a performer that I just can’t get enough of.
Studio Spotlight: It seems like your creative instincts lead you in so many different directions! From directing, to plays, to films, and now I hear that you’ve landed a voice acting role in an animated series called The High Meows, is that right?
SC: I’m not very good at sitting still, so I like to go wherever the creative winds take me, and you’re right indeed that my next gig is all with my voice. I’ve been cast as “Lola” the British Dog in the next season of The High Meows, which is a hit animated show on YouTube. I can’t tell you too much because it’s all top secret until it comes out of course, but Lola is going to be another great chance for me to flex as a performer. Like me, Lola is sassy and a world traveler who can’t help but tell anyone and everyone about the places she’s been. That next season should be releasing before the end of this year.
Studio Spotlight: Like you, Lola sounds like she’s going to be a good time. What else is coming up for you in 2025 – are there any other creative winds blowing? Are there any genres or themes you haven’t tackled yet that you’d like to explore?
SC: I’m going to have a very busy time working on The High Meows and from there, I haven’t chosen my next role yet. I’m excited to see where in the world Lola takes me! I love to make people laugh, although I often gravitate towards roles with an edge, so I would be thrilled to get more comedic parts under my belt soon. Helena Bonham Carter is one of my favorite actresses, especially because she shows so much range in the parts she plays. As I mentioned, I’m not the best at being idle, so I know that I’ll be on to the next part as soon as I’ve taken Lola for her walk ‘round the block.
Studio Spotlight: I know that part of what’s been keeping you busy lately is that, in addition to your acting schedule, you’ve also done some Assistant Directing work as well. Are you planning to do any more work behind the camera this year?
SC: I truly love any time I get to be on set, so I’ve really enjoyed my recent production experience as an Assistant Director. I worked on a couple of productions for Apple TV+; Matthew Vaughn’s feature film, Argylle, which made nearly $100 million in global box office before its debut on Apple, and the great comedy series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. Learning more about how films and shows are made has been inspiring to me, both as a performer and as a potential producer. Doing more production work is very likely in my future.
Studio Spotlight: Sarah, thanks for the time to get to know you. We can tell 2025 will be a busy year ahead, so maybe we can shine the Studio Spotlight on you again at the top of next year to hear how it all played out?
SC: I would love that! I’m sure I’ll have plenty of new stories to tell!!
