Casts: just what are they and where do they come from?

There comes a time in everyone of my actor friends lives when they get a call from me asking for them to be in a show.  If you haven't had that call yet, don't worry it will come.  Sometimes, at times of crisis, there will be calls made to friends of actor friends, so even if you don't know me, that call may still come.
Or it won't and I'll hold auditions like everyone else.  Like I did this year.  I wanted to start looking for new people to work with, to discover new worlds and new civilisations, to boldly go... to go boldly where everyone else has probably gone before.

And that's how I first met Georgina Blackledge - except that she came to audition for someone else.  She had confused the date for a different audition with ours - they were auditioning on a Wednesday.  She had arrived at the wrong Wednesday.  We had one of those brief cross purposes conversations that comedy writers love.  Confusion over she agreed to audition for the show and turned out to be fantastic.
But, having held auditions I still didn't have anything like enough people for the New Wimbledon run, so the phone calls started.  And one of those calls was to Sophie. 

I first met Sophie at a script thingy event - she claims at Jacksons Lane, but I think that was the second time we met, I think the first time was somewhere else.  I think it was The Actors Centre.  Small room, I remember a small room.  It was white.  There were chairs.  And friendly nurses with my medication...
Anyway, she was reading one of the play thingys (very well I must add) and we had a natter and met up a little later for high tea and I've been looking for a project for her ever since.

But don't take my word for it - here are the two lovely ladies to tell you all about themselves.