Congratulations are in order for Rachel Shenton and the stars of her audio drama Gladstone Girls as the show is heading across the pond to the Rhode Island International Film Festival.
The six-part scripted podcast series, which is created by and stars Rachel, shared the exciting announcement on its official Instagram page: "Another bit of exciting news for GLADSTONE GIRLS.
"We're heading to @flickers.riiff for another prestigious selection. Rhode Island Film Festival is both Oscar and BAFTA recognised."
The caption continued: "We are continually blown away by the reaction from international audiences and how they are receiving this local Stoke-On-Trent story.
"We are very close to being able to share the full series with everyone very soon."
The comments section was quickly inundated with applause emojis from fans, while one person penned: "Congratulations! And Yay!! I've only been able to listen to the first two episodes and I want to hear the rest!!!"
The good news comes just weeks after Gladstone Girls featured at the Tribeca Festival in New York in June.
© Channel 5Reacting to the show being selected by the prestigious film festival, Rachel told the BBC in May: "I can't believe our story set in the lithographing room at Gladstone factory is now going to have its moment in New York in front of a room full of industry heavyweights."
For those who don't know, Gladstone Girls is based on a true story and tells of a group of "fiery" pottery workers living in Stoke-on-Trent in 1974. The series follows the women as they start a protest to protect their cherished factory tradition, 'Curl Friday', which sees the workers get their hair done at the factory before going out on the town in the evening. After a new boss joins the factory, he threatens to dock their pay if they wear hair rollers at work.
© Photo: Getty Images"It sort of perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Stoke and the people of Stoke, stand up for what you believe in, do it right," Rachel said of the story.
The podcast drama also stars Rachel's All Creatures Great and Small co-star Anna Madeley, alongside Adrian Rollins and Dorothy Atkinson, and is directed by Rachel's husband Chris Overton.
© Rachel Shenton/InstagramThe actress, who won an Oscar in 2018 for her powerful short film The Silent Child, previously said the project was inspired by her own family history.
"My nan, grandad, aunts and uncles all worked on the pots," she told Variety. "I wanted to create a piece that celebrates the city, the heritage and the people."
