Rachel Wood

Rachel Wood

I was involved in a lot of theatre groups growing up and at university, and am enjoying combining my love of writing with my love of theatre! In my spare time you can find me reading, swimming or feeding friends and family.
  • Joined: July 2, 2022
  • Articles: 35

REVIEW: With Nail and Without Nail

Reading Time: 4 minutesMaria Telnikoff insists you don’t have to have seen the 1987 British film Withnail and I to enjoy her modern, feminist reimagining, but I admit it was this very premise that had me rushing for a chance to review it. The cult classic has captured the imagination of anyone who has dreamed of making it in the harsh reality of the creative industries, ever since Richard E Grant and Paul McGann first staggered about ‘60s Camden in fraying coats to match their fraying relationship, and my friends were no exception. Sitting around in a series of chilly Edinburgh flats as a student, Withnail and Marwood’s irresponsible play-acting as grown ups justified our behaviour; we saw part of ourselves in their ricocheting between moods and dingy pubs, uncertainty about the future quashed with another tinny and the promise we’d always have each other. The romantic notion of the ‘struggling artist’ withers under the lights in Bruce Robinson’s film - both eponymous characters went to ludicrously expensive private schools, and when the day-to-day existential angst exacerbated by an ever-growing mountain of washing up gets too much (‘I think there may be something living in there’, pleads Marwood in a pivotal scene), they can capitalise on their privilege of having a conveniently loaded uncle with a house in the Lake District to escape to.

REVIEW: The Wedding Party (The London 50-Hour Improvathon)

Reading Time: 3 minutesThe first two episodes of London's 50-Hour Improvathon, an improvised sitcom comprising of twenty-five two-hour live sessions running continuously over a full weekend, were a dazzling testament to just how fabulous improv can be. Originally created by award-winning Canadian troupe ‘Die Nasty’, the London's 50-Hour Improvathon has been running more or less annually since 2008, now back at Wilton’s Music Hall after a three year break. The event was brought to London by esteemed theatre maker Ken Campbell and since then has been produced by director Adam Meggido and Extempore Theatre as an annual event, likened to binge watching an entire DVD box-set of comedy drama in one viewing.

REVIEW: Boy Parts

Reading Time: 3 minutesEliza Clark's novel "Boy Parts" has been adapted for the stage, offering a darkly comic critique of gender power dynamics in the 21st century. The show examines the challenge of inverting the male gaze, using the character of Irina Sturges, a strong female protagonist who exploits men for her art. Despite its exploration of female agency and critique of contemporary media, the play's portrayal of gender dynamics falls short of being revolutionary or effectively challenging the imbalance of the male gaze.

REVIEW: Animal

Reading Time: 2 minutesDisability activist and equality trainer Josh Hepple approached writer Jon Bradfield with his idea for the play, centring around the rapidly blooming love life of twenty five year old David (Christopher John-Slater) - gay, disabled and profoundly horny.