1click2fame Internet Talent Show Competition
See Louise’s Family of the Grotesque as they seek their way to fame and fortune!
The Order of Disorder….
Louise’s newest work, a trilogy published by Chipmunka Publishing due out in paperback soon, dates to be announced
Fit & Funky Dance Show
Working with Community Vibe CIC in collaboration with Rosie Kay Dance Company. As assistant project co-ordinator, I am involved in working with service users and members of the public in devising a dance piece which addresses the stigma often surrounding mental health issues.
We will be performing this unique dance piece on July 23rd at The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome.
Funded by Legacy Trust UK, Arts Council England, Advantage West Midlands, this is a People Dancing project, part of West Midlands Culture Programme for London 2012
Tel: 07815 426 606
Email: [email protected]
COMEDY
October 2nd
Cafe Laffacino, Comedy Fest
Margarett Rose Abri Cafe
Cheapside, Digbeth
October 6th
Twitchen's Topical Roundup, Comedy Fest
Red Lion, Hockley
October 8th
Funbags, Comedy Fest
Crescent Theatre
November 26th
LouDeemY Productions presents Laughter Lines Variety Night
Prince of Wales, Cambridge Street, Birmingham
Below are all of my current publications. I’ve always got a couple in the pipeline so keep checking back. There are links to purchase the books if you would like to. Go to the bottom left of this page to read some excerpts from my books.
Click here to subscribe to the YouTube channel
In addition to her serious acting and writing, Louise is passionate about humour and comedy both as forms of entertainment and as powerful tools to keep us mentally, physically and spiritually healthy.
As a character comedian, she prefers to deliver her humour hidden behind tons of bizarre make up, costume and characterisation. She performs a whole family of larger than life, but unnervingly recognisable characters, including Kimmy Sue Ann, her street comedy poet who performs regularly (some would say constantly) in Birmingham and the Midlands, as well as making forays further out to London, Glastonbury, the Forest of Dean, Hereford, Derby, Liverpool, and the Edinburgh Fringe.
Other popular family members include Nicola Goff-the-Goth, Great Uncle Dirk o’t’dea, Nan Roz Coalstead, Aunt Pamela Mary Crabfish, , and little sister Lucietta Lollipop, with many others constantly threatening to cruel out of the wood work. (Or is it the wood worm?).
Manchester, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Hull, Leamington, Shropshire have all been treated to visits from various family members.
Her personal experience of being bullied to within an inch of her life by in her former existence as a nurse left her with loads of comedy material but no sense of humour whatsoever. Her subsequent vow to remain serious, pessimistic and depressed about the world and those within it for the rest of her life, came to a premature close when her sense of humour unexpectedly returned and she decided to turn tragedy into comedy and live off the proceeds.
A journey through bullying using poetry as the guide. marooned is the compelling story of one woman’s survival.
Cost: £3.00
ISBN: 978 1 904552 19 2
Marooned
Kimmy Sue Anne, from the rough, tough streets of Dudley’s Kates Hill, overlooked as it is by the town’s ancient castle, waxes lyrical about her love of ancient military edifices.
Cost: £3.00
ISBN: 978 1 904552 22 2
The Forts of Kimmy Sue Anne
This a powerful novel of self discovery which explores the pressure to comply and the spirit of individuality, and culminates dramatically as the two clash and only one can prevail.
Cost: £8.00
ISBN: 978 1 904552 30 7
Faerie Dust
Meet the whole family... Kimmy Sue Anne, Nan, Great Uncle Dirk, Nicola Goff, Pamela Mary Crabfish, Celestine, Arthur Striner Turner and Jean-Stefan de le Broadbean d’Urse au Mange Tout.
Cost: £3.00
ISBN: 978 1 904552 27 7
Conversations with the Family of the Grotesque
by Kimmy-Sue Anne
I was watching a programme
Bout Astrophysics
I think it was interesting
It was bout science and religion
And power and politics
And things
Galileo…he was innit, innit
I thought he played with Queen
But apparently he lived long time ago
’Fore T.V, even, know what I mean?
It brought up lots of questions
That I really wanted to aks
But I couldn’t think of any
Perhaps there were too many
But I enjoyed it anyway
Cos I learned a new one of me words
It’s fine and wicked and phat and sick…
It’s BioNuclearConspiracyAstrophysic
Aks Me
by Louise Stokes
The most important part of the Faerie Day
Includes laughter, party, fun and play
Dwelling on tears and dark dismay
Is really not in the spirit of Fey
Quick and nimble, bursts of Light
Shining in the day, glowing in the night
Elf or Gnome, Faerie or Sprite
Life is one round of sheer delight
If you glimpse them, hold this thought...
You have been honoured by the sight you sought
Since a Faerie sighting can never be bought
Nor can a Faerie ever be caught
But seeing them will set you free
And freedom gives you the sight to see
That you can be who you want to be
I know this is true...it happened to me!
Faerie Joy
by Kimmy Sue Anne
What’s all the fuss bout food then? You is hungry, you does eat somat, innit? Why is you only supposed to eat stuff wot don’t taste nice,
cos if it does then it must be rubbish…who thought that one up then, ya get me?
You See
by Louise Stokes
If hadn’t been There
Then I wouldn’t be Here
And if I wasn’t Here
Then Where would I be?
Feeling Better
Dear Stephen,
I've written to Mum, as you suggested - after all, I've had enough time this week. I never would have imagined that a conference about dealing with "Bullying in the Workplace" could be so totally lacking in content about how to deal with bullying in the workplace.
I think I may just give up my job altogether when I get back. You know how you're always saying I'm not entirely suited to a career in the health service? I'm beginning to think you may be right, so I might try and get a job in one of the caring professions instead. As you know, I've always had this strong belief, call it an intuition, ever since I was very young, that healing people was to be part of my purpose in life….after I'd decided that I didn't really want to become a princess, a show jumper, or a pop singer. Which you probably didn't know, because I don't think I've ever told you about that before. And you also won't know, because I never told you this either, that I did of course harbour a longer-held desire to be an actress. I'm sure that won't surprise you, though, you're always telling me that I'm over-dramatic about everything, and that I don't live in the real world…so I have the key qualities really, don't I? But then, of course I was told by Mrs Stanton that 'nice girls don't become actresses.' And I so wanted to be a nice girl, didn't I?
A nice girl who brought some good to the world. Which is why I thought that working in the health service was a good idea, although I did enrol in a night school drama course for a brief while, guiltily attending whilst constantly keeping a lookout for anyone who might report my misdemeanour back to Mrs Stanton, even though I was no longer at school. Well anyone can make a mistake can't they…perhaps I need to search elsewhere for an outlet which will allow me to try and heal the world and the people who make it such a sad place on account of their own despair. Anyway, I'm doing that digression thing again that my Mother's always telling me - and you - about. So, like I say, I 've done what you asked and written to her, and, since I'm away for the rest of the week, I want to ask you to do something for me in return. I do appreciate how you took my side during that argument with Mum, especially since you don't really believe in any of my "stuff" as you call it.
The Faerie Dust Letters
by Kimmy Sue Anne
Innit is it innit that
The conversation of the young
When dey does chew de fat
Innit is it innit that
The adolescent words of choice
To hang and have some chat
Innit
Innit is it innit that
Whatever, I aint bovvered, man
Cos nutting ever never riles dem
An’ sick is fine and good is fat
Innit is it innit that
A whole new language in our midst
Know wha’ I mean, ya get me chap?
So is it innit is it so
That innit is it innit that
Dote make no sense, tho’
does it tho’?
Innit?
But then I’ll have a memory
A flash of something past
A smile, a phrase, a feeling
That passes by too fast
So I believe that person
I grew up knowing well
Has just gone into hiding
To escape a personal hell
And when the time is right again
If that should ever be
The someone I grew up with
Will start looking back at me
by Louise Stokes
Long ago, I was someone
And now I’m someone new
A re-invention of myself
The old me, out of view
Sometimes I think the someone
Who used to be that me
Is no longer in existence
Has simply ceased to be
Inside Out
Louise Stokes Bio
Louise writes and performs all her own work as well running drama and creative workshops for both children and adults of all ages and backgrounds .
As a freelance artist, most of her work is issue-based and awareness raising, using both humour and serious social comment through the mediums of literature and drama to try and challenge perceptions which are discriminatory, prejudiced, ignorant, or just plain unhelpful.
Her previous background has given her the opportunity to use her drama and writing training and skills to work creatively with people experiencing mental health issues, as well as with a variety of other people from many different backgrounds.
As Company Secretary with Award winning Theatre and Arts In Health Company Community Vibe CIC, Louise’s roles also include writer, actor, project co-ordinator and sessional worker. The creative work with Community Vibe is varied and innovative, including theatre, dance and arts projects which aim to help change people’s lives for the better.
As a member of the National Federation of Spiritual Healers Louise is a practicing Spiritual Healer, and has completed her second Degree Reiki Healer training. She believes that Faeries, Angels and all of her Guardians have guided her through the dark tunnels of life and led her out into the Light of a better world.
Both Reiki and the National Federation of Spiritual Healing(NFSH) are forms of Natural Healing. They are Natural therapies whereby healing energy is channelled by the healer through to the healee.
Everyone is made of energy and when that energy is unbalanced in some way, it can result in illness or stress. The healer, calling in the energy from its 'source' simply channels it through and each individual's own inner wisdom then ensures the energy is sent where it is most needed. Since the energy knows where it needs to go, the healer does not need to know what may be troubling a healee, although if it helps to talk, then the healer is there to listen.
I work as a volunteer for the NFSH at Rushall Community Centre, which is free of charge, but welcomes donations to help cover overheads..for details access or call Sandy Edwards on 01922 627346.
I also offer private healing sessions, either NFSH, or Reiki, and again, I do not charge for this service, instead I suggest that healees may like to give a donation to something or somewhere that is meaningful to them, only if they wish to of course!
The following podcasts are available at Black Country Podcasting for download.
Click the quick links to listen...
Hear some of Louise's poetry including:
Epilogue, Inside Out, The Wrong Path, Dilemma, Feeling Better, Pictures and Celestine's Beans.
A feature on the theme of bullying with extracts from her book, Marooned, published by Kateshill Press.
Louise reads a short story, The Faery Dust Letters. A story about Lilac Rainbow.
Two poems by Louise; Epilogue and Bread.
www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/948079
www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/1222604
www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/689708
Unworkable, Theatre in Health Performance
Working with Community Vibe CIC, funded by the Arts Council, I will be writing and performing in this exciting new play; research consultations take place March 31st, contact me for further details, performances in September, venue tbc and October, World Mental Health Day at The Chamber of Commerce
Community Vibe is a one stop arts company catering for all needs, providing positive arts projects that can make an impact on social change and promote diversity.A main aim is inclusion into arts for those groups who can often be excluded for whatever reason; age, disability, social background, health etc. Community Vibe is run by Rachel Green. Check out the site for clips, blogs and lots of other stuff.
I have written and perfomed many plays with various groups, as well as my own one-woman plays. As with everything that I do the theatre work always has a key underlying message for health, education or community and aims to raise awareness of a variety of issues.
As well as working freelance I work with other theatre companies. You can see us in costume in the photos to the right.
The Lilac Rainbow concept began in the Faerie Dust Letters, which have been transformed into a novel, Faerie Dust (see the bookshelf on the right of the page).
The Lilac Rainbow Faerie Oracle is a deck of faery oracle cards for divination that have been created from watercolour paintings that I have done over the last few years.
I am working on the project with Russell Goffe. Together we are ascertaining the meanings within the cards and writing readings and poetry to depict them.
As with 'Faerie Dust', the oracle cards deal with understanding the relationship between the psychological and spiritual sides of life, which can become confusing and cause much suffering.
We all deal with this side of our Self at some point and tools like symbolism can bring understanding and guidance.
COMPETITIONS
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Semi-finalist So You Think You’re Funny? 2008
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Short-listed for Semi-finals, Nivea Funny Women Awards, 2008
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Finalist Gong Show Heat, Fun House Comedy Club, Derby
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Amused Moose Contestant 2008
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Quarter Finalist Laughing Horse New Comedy Act 2009
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Regular weekly winner of variety category, twice quarter finalist 1click2fame talent show
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Jongleurs FMH newcomer
COMEDY CLUBS
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Laughing Cows
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Laughing Calves
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Laughing Lasses
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Laughing Horse
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Funny Women
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Journey Central
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Pear Shaped
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Mirth on Mondays
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Mirth Control
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Kitchen Garden Café
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Cheeky Monkey
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Half Moon Comedy
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The Glee Club
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Jongluers
FESTIVALS
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Edinburgh Fringe
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Birmingham Comedy Festival
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Leicester Comedy Festival
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Bath Comedy Festival
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ArtsFest
Site design by Holistic Birmingham
Please use the following form to send Louise a message:
Enquiry Form
If you would like to contact Louise please use the details below or the form to the right.
Please use the following form to send Louise a message:
Community Vibe:
Rachel Green: 07772 572 060
Kateshill Press:
Visit the Kateshill Press website for details.
Other Contacts
Left: Image taken from Measure to Measure with Rogue Play Theatre Company. Visit their site at www.rogueplay.co.uk.
Kimmy Sue Anne
Roz Coalstead (Nan)
Nicola Goff (the goth)
Great Uncle Dirk o't'Dea
Nine is a collection of nine short stories, each one looking at a different aspect of the human condition, from the depths of despair to the heights of ecstasy, from the very best to the very worst in human behavior.
Cost: £7.00
ISBN: 978-1-906357-35-1
Nine
Pamela Mary Crabfish
The Many Faces of Louise Stokes
THEATRE
September 24th
Rhymes
Old Fire station, Highgate
October 14th
Pilot Light, Scratch Night
The Victoria, John Bright Street
October 16th
HOPE Charity Event
The Public, West Brom.
November 6th
National Poetry Slam, hosted by Mark Niel
Newhampton Theatre, Wolverhampton
November17th
Monologueslam UK - The Ultimate Actors Showcase Event
Yardbird, Birmingham
DANCE
July 23rd Fit & Funky
The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome