WINSFORD’S Sophie Osborne will be teaming up with fellow actor, Steve Cooper, to bring a new musical comedy tackling the way we look at dementia, to the Winsford Theatre Space.

Sophie and Steve will be performing Paradise Lodge in Winsford on October 19 and 21, before touring the rest of the north west. The play will be directed by The Theatre Space's artistic director, Richard Oliver.

Paradise Lodge is written by Steve, and is based on his experience of caring for his mother-in-law, Dorothy, who had dementia.

Steve, who's best known for his roles in BAFTA winning BBC3 drama In The Flesh and appearances in Peter Kay's Car Share, and as a regular police officer in Coronation Street, wrote the play to try and make sense of the condition and how it impacted on Dorothy, her family and friends.

Sophie was keen to get involved in the show as it is a subject close to her heart, after helping to care for her Gran, Marjorie Johnson, who had Alzheimer’s for 10 years.

She will be performing the play in memory of Marjorie.

Sophie and Steve play Eric and Kylie, a dysfunctional ukulele musical duo embarking on their first gig together at Paradise Lodge care home.

Sophie, whose best known for roles in BBC Detective Series Dalziel & Pascoe, Emmerdale, and most recently touring England with her hit one woman comedy, Kissing Frogs, says she is very much looking forward to bringing the show to her home town and The Theatre Space.

Sophie said: “My own show, Kissing Frogs, has toured to The Theatre Space and I've worked with Richard before, performing in a Christmas show there, Santa In Space. He's a fantastic director and I can't wait to work with him again.

"When myself and my parents were caring for my gran we found humour was the best way to deal with what we were all going through.

“It's a tough subject but one that affects so many people. It's said that one in three people will develop the condition.

“I love the way the play looks at it in a light-hearted way which celebrates the lives of the people with the condition.”

Steve added: “Dementia is now a bigger killer than heart disease in the UK. What we hope the play will do is encourage people to think about the condition in a different way and talk about how we handle it.”

Tickets are available at thetheatrespace.co.uk