Sisters Sophie and Emily are incredibly close. So much so, they’ve written a play together exploring their life as sisters growing up in Hull. We asked them to tell us about it…
Written by Sophie and Emily
Hi, we are sisters, Sophie and Emily.
Sophie is 33 and Emily is 31.
Sophie lives at home with our Mum and Stepdad, Scott, who she loves so so so much.
Emily lives in London.
Sophie loves to visit Emily in London every other month.
We love to go shopping together and out for food and drinks – especially cocktails. Sophie’s favourite is a Pornstar Martini and Emily’s is an Old Fashioned. We absolutely love to party! We enjoy dancing in clubs and discos and drinking with Emily’s friends. We are party girls!
Sophie wants to show everyone that even though she has Down’s syndrome, she knows how to have a good time and get drunk like anyone else.
Sophie is a Mencap Mythbuster – Party Girl is her title!
Tell us the best (and worst) bits about each other…
My favourite thing about my sister Emily, is she always makes me laugh! She is so funny and silly, and I have so many amazing memories of us growing up together. I also love how she cares for me and always looks after me when I stay with her, she is always there for me.
Emily used to be VERY untidy when we were growing up. She would always leave her dirty washing on the floor! Even her
underwear!
Sophie is the most magical sister. I love everything about her, especially her laugh – it’s infectious. Her caring and thoughtful nature. The fact that she was always on my side growing up, and still to this day, she is always on my side! Everyone needs someone like Sophie!
Sophie! So cheeky because she is the worst for leaving her dirty washing all over the floor! I have to run around picking it all up when she stays with me in London, so my house mates don’t stand on her knickers!
Apart from partying! We love spending time with our family and friends. Sophie enjoys going bowling and to the cinema, and going out for meals with her boyfriend, Richard. Emily enjoys being creative and trying to find a boyfriend as lovely as Sophie’s – Richard haha!
Sophie used to volunteer at an organisation called Downright Special in Hull. Now she goes to various day centres which she adores!
Emily has her own company – Down the Lens – which is an organisation that provides creative projects for people with learning disabilities. She can be contacted if you want to to create a photoshoot, a play, a short film, a fashion show or anything else fun and creative on downthelens@outlook.com
The theatre show: Sophie
The pair are currently working on a theatre show called ‘Sophie’.
It is an autobiographical, one-woman show that transports its audience back to the 90s as we watch Emily navigate her way through womanhood and sisterhood with Sophie, her sister who has Down’s syndrome.
As Emily begins consuming plenty of cheap booze, snogging boys, and dancing to some great girl bangers, Sophie gradually becomes excluded from the independent life that Emily is freely able to enjoy. The sisters then begin to grow further apart when Emily’s ignorance is fuelled by the discriminative views of her peers in high school.
The play is written and performed by the sisters, and Emily and Sophie want to show everyone what life can be like, living with that extra sparkly chromosome – Down’s syndrome.
‘SASSY, SHARP, AND FULL OF SPARKLE. THE SISTERS ARE DYNAMIC AND MAGIC TO WATCH.’
📍 @richmixlondon
🗓️ 19th May
⏰ 7:30-8:30pm
🔖 £12 | £10 with one free carer
Tickets here
The girls have been lucky enough to be awarded money from the Pheobe Waller-Bridge ‘Keep it Fringe’ fund which means, they are taking the show to Edinburgh Fringe this year, from 17–22 August. You can find them at The Old Foundry, Just The Tonic, Edinburgh.
They are then performing again in London on Sunday 8 October at the Moth Club in Hackney.
We wish to continue adapting and developing our show for different audiences and spaces so we can share our lived experiences through storytelling – educating and entertaining people about the ups and downs of living with additional needs.
Watching the play is incredible. It brings back so many memories and it is so special watching my sister on the stage and people laughing and singing and dancing along. I want people to know how much fun we have as sisters and how much we love and care for each other. (Sophie)
Emily said:
“Performing something so personal was initially, very daunting. Everyone has completely different experiences, and we want to make that very clear. The story is an autobiographical show, exploring our lived experiences. So, what may have happened to us, may not have happened to other people. However, they are so many complexities and themes running throughout the show which resonate with so many people – womanhood and sisterhood is universal. Our main aim is to provide a space and a platform for people who have questions and answers regarding Down’s syndrome. This show specifically, is about the relationship of sisters, and how siblings may or may not be affected by growing up with their brother or sister, who has a learning disability.
We would absolutely love to adapt the show for the screen. We believe there are snippets in the show which can be used for a range of purposes as the story is about the girls navigating their way through relationships, intimacy, family dynamics, class, justice, sisterhood, and womanhood. All of these are important conversations to be had, especially within the disabled community. We would like to contribute creatively by sharing our story.”
Thank you for telling us all about the play – best of luck!