Sophie Stone Has Been Writing a Play and a Sitcom and Says, “There’s So Much to Gain” From Our Differences

Sophie Stone has been selected for the 2026 BAFTA Breakthrough cohort, recognising her work as an actor and offering access to new creative connections. The deaf actress says she hopes the programme will help her develop projects and enter fields where she has not always been included.

Stone discussed playing Mia, a cult leader in Ted Evans’ feature Retreat, a role he developed with her over a decade. She said the film’s all-deaf lead cast drew on deaf and isolated communities, exploring how pride and a desire to protect a community can also become suffocating. Stone is also writing a play and a sitcom, and argues that audiences and creators have much to gain from difference.