LPT: Firstly, we are thrilled to see that you are both championing women in theatre with your theatre company UPPER HAND. Please could you expand on why this is so important to you.

As women in theatre, we are acutely aware of the lack of opportunities for women in the arts. We launched Upper Hand to create a platform to celebrate and uplift talented women and promote their skills in all creative roles, not just on stage. We are lucky in this production to be joined by a female director, set designer and composer!

LPT: Does this mean finding meatier roles for women and what kind of problem have you experienced in doing so?

We have been lucky so far to find two plays with fantastic roles for women. We know they are out there; we just need to find them and give them the platform they deserve. It’s a process we are very excited about.

LPT: SPARKS is written by a male writer, Simon Longman, isn’t that cheating (just a little bit)?

We have had men in our creative team since our first production and will continue to do so. As a company we are always looking for plays with great female roles, regardless of who they have been written by. With Sparks it’s refreshing to find a modern play by a male writer who understands the female experience.

LPT: As actors, what first attracted you to SPARKS?

Lisa was recommended to read Sparks while seeking female monologues and as actors we were struck by how well written the play was for two women. The characters are multi-faceted, and the story is so gripping with a few unexpected twists and turns.

We are staging the London revival. Sparks premiered in 2015 to rave reviews, and we can’t believe it’s not been staged in London since then! Plus, there is the bonus of playing sisters again, a dynamic we know all too well!

All Images: In rehearsals for SPARKS (Photo credit: Tim Stubbs Hughes)

LPT: We’d love to hear more about SPARKS, your roles, and what really fires you up about the themes and the story.

It’s a quirky, off-beat play about sisterhood and how you can’t choose your family. The two sisters seem to be polar opposites, but it’s what unites them that brings them back together. It’s funny, heartfelt and gripping, which is what attracted us to the play in the first place. Simon Longman’s writing is so clever, the play takes you on a rollercoaster that you can’t get off! Both characters are dream roles for us and we are lucky to be working with a talented director in Julia Stubbs.

LPT: You have two post show discussions (5 and 12 July). Please could you tell us more about these.

On the 5^th July our topic is ‘Women in Theatre: Finding Creative Freedom’. Where we will be discussing the growing need for creatives to become skilled in multiple disciplines to be successful in the arts. We are very excited to be joined by Sarah Lawrie and Jenny Eastop who are both multi-hyphenate theatre makers.

On 12^th July we are discussing ‘Upper Hand Theatre Company: Creating a Theatre Company’. Here we will delve into running a theatre company and our passion to continue telling female-centred stories. We are joined by a special guest Laura Fitzpatrick for this panel, who was with us when we founded the company last year (the three of us produced the first production).

LPT: Having inaugurated the company in 2023 with a production of Laura Wade’s COLDER THAN HERE, did you learn any valuable lessons which you’re taking forward for this new show?

There were many! The whole process was a learning curve; we learnt that delegation is our friend, we don’t need to wear all the hats and to chill out a bit! Everything always works out in the end. We were lucky to be surrounded by a great team and the support from everyone was invaluable. We want to pay this kindness forward and support other theatre makers going on the same journey.

LPT: What has been the hardest part of establishing yourselves in this overcrowded profession.

The hardest part is being seen for work that you are passionate about. So, we realised early on that we needed to fly our own flag and create the opportunities that the industry lacks. The reduction of funding in the arts has been difficult to navigate but we also found it challenging to entice audiences into the theatre post covid and in a cost-of-living crisis. All we know is that we want to produce good work and that’s what we will strive to achieve.

LPT: How do you hope the company will develop over the next few years?

We have loved reviving early works of established playwrights and we hope to continue to do so. In the next few years, we are hoping to look at more new writing, and create a platform for their work to be seen and appreciated. We would also love to develop more plays with relevant themes to engage audiences who might not be typical theatre goers.

LPT: Finally, what is your favourite scene in SPARKS which you are looking forward to sharing with audiences?

Lisa: I am looking forward to the moments where Sarah is able to finally express what she has been feeling for twelve years. There will be fireworks!

Emma: Jess has a few great speeches throughout the play but my favourite is a wild story about her getting a dart thrown at her hand. All for a free pint!