Island lawyer pens festive play

Lesley adapted Saving Of Santa from a story she dreamed up for her daughter, Abagael. It will appear on the Westferry Road theatre's Christmas schedule with The Space Christmas Space Show (Set in Space), which was penned by Lucy Frederick.

Lesley, of Sextant Avenue, said: "It's meant to have a message but it's also meant to be a real laugh, and to entertain people. If I go to the theatre, I want something that's going to cheer me up."

Saving Of Santa, penned under the pseudonym of Lobelia Golightly, is a story of fairies, trolls, elves and even a giant seal. It was inspired by a speech that was given about unselfishness by a young child at the UN Assembly.

Lesley said: "It's based on the idea of whether Father Christmas might get fed up over the centuries of people saying 'I want' all the time.

"He has sacks down in the cellar, which all the elves think are full of presents, but they actually contain the faith that he collected before he started. He's down to his last two sacks, and the only thing that can save him is an unselfish letter."

Lesley has lived on the Isle of Dogs for more than two decades, and has written a few skits for her church, Christchurch. But her story-telling life was mostly restricted to holidays and evenings with her son Nathanael and her daughter Abagael, who are now 20 and 15 respectively.

She said: "When my son Nathanael was little, I used to make up songs. When I had Abagael, because I was so busy, it was a way of demonstrating that I did have time to spend with them.

"The stories I wrote were a way for me to show her I loved her. It took an effort, rather than if I'd just bought her something.

"This job is so sad at times, so in my spare time I don't want to dwell on depressing things.

"I wouldn't normally go to the theatre to watch kitchen-sink drama. I want to go and have a good time. It's like a release."

Just over a year ago, she mentioned the tale to Adam Hemmings, creative director of The Space, and was inspired to adapt it into a production for the Isle of Dogs theatre. It will open on Saturday and will finish its run next Sunday (December 20).

Lesley said: "I feel very honoured because they're all working their socks off and the actors have come from all over.

"It's really cheered me up. I don't know how it's going to be received but the people doing it are really enjoying it, and I'm hopeful that this will come across in the show."

For more info and booking, go to space.org.uk or call 0207 515 7799.