A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of meeting and working with the lovely Leia on a Punished Brats shoot. ( Leia Ann Woods- British Brat www.punishedbrats.com) She is a young woman of uncommon beauty, grace and intelligence. Her contributions of ideas and talent made this one of our most successful shoots. We had the best time at our post shoot dinner, eating Chinese food, chatting and drinking tea, while a large amount of snow accumulated on the ground outside.
In the past few months a very original website made its debut. www.bars-and-stripes.com, a CP site with a prison theme, has made people sit up and take notice. This site is the brain child of Leia and her collaborators. The buzz surrounding this site is nothing short of amazing.
On top of being a major star of the CP cinema, Leia Ann is a doctoral candidate in chemistry and how she has time to breathe is beyond me. I was more than thrilled when the delightful Miss Woods was able to fit me in to her ridiculous schedule to do this interview.
David: Hi Leia. How are you sweetie? Can you believe it's been eight weeks since we shot that video here? Oh..yes..Pixie and Eric both send their love.
Leia: Hi David! I am very well...thank you. That Punished Brats shoot was such a good experience and you all were great to film with... even if it did snow for two days. ( Laugh) Tell Pixie and Eric I send my love as well.
David: There is a young man here from the wine bar who asks about you all of the time.
Leia: Oh..yes..God! I do remember him.
David: Well I guess we had better get on with the interview before we run out of time.
Leia: I suppose you are right.
David: So tell me, how did a nice, highly educated girl such as yourself become one of the world's top CP performers?
Leia: ( Laugh) Well, it was an accident really. I took a brave step quite awhile back and attended a scene event with a friend. I enjoyed the day so much I went to more and more events in my spare time. At one event I met some of the Miss Marchmont team, who, once I got to know them, asked me if I would like to make a film. After some thought I decided to go for it and made 'The Finishing School' and 'The Way Of A Man and His Maid' with them. Those films were my first experiences on camera.
David: Both are very elegant videos.
Leia: Well thank you. Both films were such amazing experiences for me. After that I worked for Strictly English and Northern Spanking, both of whom were great to film with and come up with some of the most innovative ideas in the scene.
David: Was there someone who inspired you? Another CP performer that you looked up to?
Leia: Hmm... I'd say Lucy Mc Lean of Northern Spanking. She is one of the brightest and most inventive ladies in the scene, who has, with Paul Kennedy, truly helped and inspired me...gave me the courage to develop as a person and a scene player.
David: Lucy sounds like a very special person.
Leia: She is! Lucy has a world of experience and really doesn't mind sharing her thoughts and feelings with those of us with less experience. Honestly. I can not thank the good people of Northern Spanking (www.northernspanking.com ) enough for everything they have given me, most valuable of which being their time.
David: Well speaking of spankings, northern or otherwise, let me ask you about differences in CP practice in the US and UK. When you worked with us (Punished Brats) here in the states you were spanked with lots of wooden objects. Your reaction to the hairbrush I spanked you with was priceless. ( laugh) Is there a big difference in the implements used in the UK and US? Oh..yeah..I've heard that you've become rather fond of the hairbrush.
Leia: David, I never knew a minute could last so long! Yes, I can't say that I liked the hairbrush at first, but it has grown on me. The hairbrush is definitely among the implements I love to hate. Of course the UK has its variants in the US. The Scots like the tawse and we English are in love with the cane...my particular favorite. Although the cane can really, really hurt at the time, it gives one the most fabulous feelings afterwards. It really does.
David: I have to tell you how much I love your website. Bars-and-Stripes (www.bars-and-stripes.com) has only been open for a few months but it's become on of the most talked about sites on the net. Where did you come up with this brilliant idea?
Leia: I truly believe that the prison fantasy stems from spending many years growing up in a boarding school. If someone can name three differences between prison and boarding school I'd like to hear them. However, some inspiration, such as the use of storyline and particular characters come from TV and films based in prisons, women's prison's epically. I guess my fantasy is an exchange of power and in prison this is particularly strong. You are completely at the guard's mercy and that has always been my thing. In January of last year I spoke to a friend of mine, Michael Stamp to be precise, who is now a co-conspirator of Bars and-Stripes, and here we are with a fully functioning prison.
David: There is a definite storyline to your site. I so love that. Why did you decide to do it that way?
Leia: Well, I am a firm believer that CP is more than just a physical interaction between dom and sub. It's a psychological mindset as well. For instance, take my character. She seems very hard at first...nothing can break her, but eventually something does, eventually, and thus her reactions to the CP and ultimate submission to it are interesting to see. In the past, very few people have managed to successfully capture the psychological interaction between dominant and submissive. I hope that I will mange to show a unique insight here.
David: So, what surprises do you have in store for your fans? New cast members perhaps? ..he says knowingly. (laugh)
Leia: We have many surprises coming up. I won't give too much away, else Mr. Stamp will tawse me. I can tell you that we have four, new inmates coming to Bars-and-Stripes over the next few months. The first being blonde bombshell, Jadie Reece, who is just too beautiful for words. Soon you will see Niki Flynn and Adele Haze coming in a month or two. Then we have the exquisite Yasmin Garcia. I can also tell you that we are becoming braver with our storylines and are going for heavier punishments. That means more canings, spankings and strappings all around.
David: So, as long as you have Adele confined, do you think you can get her to do the reviews she owes me? (laugh)
Leia: (laugh) We'll see what we can do.
David: Sweetie..I can't tell you how much fun it was having you here. You are such great fun. Tell our readers a bit about yourself.
Leia: David..I had a fab time..you were all so hospitable. So is the part where I tell the world about my deepest, darkest secrets? What would you like to know?
David: Okay...lets me put it this way...when you are not being the star of spanking videos, what is it that you do?
Leia: Well, the other major part of my life is academia. I am studying for a PhD in Chemistry. Yes, it's true..I am a geek. This takes up much of my time. While I sometimes hate it, I would not be without my academic life. Now I bet you don't know that I'm a big fan of Rugby. I used to play in fact.
David: Yes I do..you told me.
Leia: That would have been at the wine bar..right?
David: The one and only.
Leia: Well I don't play anymore, need to keep me nose on straight, I am a big fan of the London Wasps Ruby Club. I even have a shirt.
David: Perfunctory question time.
Leia: And what do you mean by that?
David: Were you spanked as a child? Sorry, I had to ask.
Leia: No, not at all. My family used other methods of discipline with great success. I know you'll find this hard to believe, but I was a quiet child until boarding school so Mum didn't need to discipline me much. Shocking as it may sound; I was a child who actually loved school. I had to grow up to become a pain in the butt.
David: I have found that many of us who practice CP as a lifestyle can trace our interest back into early childhood. Is that true of you?
Leia: I was very young..almost as long as I can remember. I do remember reading a book and it got me seriously thinking and from there CP become a part of my early pubescent fantasies. As I got older the fantasies become stronger and stronger until one day I had to experience it, else I was going to burst. That happened when I was twenty-one. Myself and a friend had a purely CP relationship for a while and it worked as a lovely introduction.
David: Well love, it was so nice of you to do this interview. It's always nice to chat with my favorite British Brat. I do know that you have very little free time. I hope that we get to work with you again..very soon. Headmaster Pierson has a paddle with your name on it.
Leia: Well, David, you know I love being busy. Wouldn't have it any other way. My living a double life is actually really exciting. I hope to see you again soon and would be happy to receive the paddle again, scary though it is.
David: Bye sweetie...talk soon
Leia: Bye David and thank you for everything.
Follow the adventures of Leia and her fellow inmates at www.bars-and-stripes.com.