Sappho at the Lord Stanley
Sappho, by Carolyn Gage, a riotous romp across the slippery terrain of Lesbian romance, as the goddesses on Olympus come down to earth to recruit among Sappho and her followers, is the rarest of things - a light-hearted, lesbian comedy theatre piece. And an all female cast.
In essence, Sappho is a sexy lesbian comedy, set on the island of Lesbos. Sappho runs schools for lesbians, and comedy ensues. All types of love, lust, relationships and everything in between that can exist between women, are explored. It's a historical piece, but at the same time covers universal and even modern day themes in this latest version. 
Oakleigh says "lesbian themed theatre often only reflects the stereotypes. Sappho reflects the full mix of society. It's about love and everyone happens to be a woman."Sappho runs from 28 August - 15 September; Weds - Sat 7.30pm; Sun 6pm.
Tickets will be available from http://www.theatrecollection.net
Follow on Twitter @theatrecoll
Rugged Rock
Helen is currently starring in new mockumentary web series Rugged Rock, written and directed by Francesca Marie. The sitcom parodies a TIE (theatre in education) production company that takes itself a bit too seriously. Something that will probably be familiar to most actors and producers.
In this day and age of devices permanently being stuck to our hands, web series are becoming the obvious way to distribute sitcoms, dramas, short films and more. The format gives producers the chance to control how, when and what viewers see. It means rules can be broken, and in Rugged Rock, for example, we are given three female leads, playing untraditional sitcom characters.
Web series do not have to follow the Network guidelines for mainstream orientated storylines and characters. It is next to impossible for new scripts from unknown writers to be commissioned by Network channels. Online series are helping creatives break away from these constraints and are changing the industry for the next generation. And using channels such as YouTube the content is available for free.
Find Rugged Rock for FREE on Youtube. Follow on Twitter @itsRuggedRock
Watch the Pilot Episode here:
· What next for Oakleigh?
Making Shakespeare accessible for all - pupils and theatre-goers alike. Through Simply Shakespeare, the canon will be explored and told in 15 minute films. For schools, there will be curriculum and teaching activities available.
For theatre-goers, the 15 minute versions will be enough present the story of the play and capture the essence, to open up the possibility of enjoying a full length version at the theatre, by taking away all the worry of having to understand the plot just by the language.
Romeo and Juliet is up first. Find out more at
https://www.facebook.com/SimplyShakespeareUK or follow on Twitter @SimplyShakeUK
