Five reasons to see Dark Sublime at Trafalgar Studios

We dropped in on rehearsals to ask Dark Sublime's Sophie Ward and Andrew Keates why audiences should be excited for this debut British comedy opening at Trafalgar Studios this summer!

1. My fantastic cast mates

Marina Sirtis (Marianne) is a wonderful actor who we know from Star Trek:The Next Generation, and we have the voice of Mark Gatiss as our Artificial Intelligence (Kosley), the fantastic Simon Thorp (Bob/Vykar) and Jacqueline King (Kate), who have done at least a billion shows, as well as TV such as Hard Sun and Doctor Who. We also have the brilliant young actor Kwaku Mills (Oli) making his West End debut.

2. It's empowering for the LGBQT+ community, as well as mature women

Currently, there aren't that many plays which place lesbians at the heart of the action, especially as grown-up women. It's so refreshing to have these lives represented without any tragedy about their sexuality. The tension comes from their choices in love and life, particularly when they reach an age where they can reflect on the consequences.

3. It's going to look awesome (and out of this world!)

We're really lucky to have the most amazing team making everything work — at least looking at the drawings and design we think it will! We haven't got into the theatre yet and the technical rehearsal is still to come, but it looks amazing so far. We are in the capable hands of designer Tim McQuillen-Wright, who recently designed the fantastic Moulin Rouge and Blade Runner productions for Secret Cinema!

4. It's the world premiere of a brand new British comedy!

It's a rare enough thing, a funny new play! Our writer Michael Dennis has a keen eye for the world of fandom and sci-fi, as well as sharp observations about love and friendship, which he has combined in an entirely original way so that audiences will really be able to relate to.

5. We've more sci-fi references than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at!

Whilst this show appeals to such a wide ranging audience, there is a sci-fi element to it. This is something that we've been learning lots about from our director Andrew Keates, who is possibly the biggest sci-fi fan in the world!