Bucks &amp; Oxon

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/IMG_7239_Much-Ado-About-Nothing_Emily-playing-Beatrice-_Credit-Richard-Budd.jpg" alt="Emily Woodward, actor " class="wp-image-155500" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/IMG_7239_Much-Ado-About-Nothing_Emily-playing-Beatrice-_Credit-Richard-Budd.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/IMG_7239_Much-Ado-About-Nothing_Emily-playing-Beatrice-_Credit-Richard-Budd-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/IMG_7239_Much-Ado-About-Nothing_Emily-playing-Beatrice-_Credit-Richard-Budd-400x267.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">©Richard Budd. Emily Woodward in &#8216;Much Ado About Nothing&#8217; </figcaption></figure>



Actor Emily Woodward is brimming with enthusiasm. Two days into rehearsals for Glyn Maxwell&#8217;s <a href="https://creationtheatre.co.uk/show/boatman-town/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boatman Town</a>, a tragicomedy performed in a clutch of pub venues across Oxford and London (20 Feb &#8211; 10 March 2024), she still can&#8217;t believe her luck at landing a two year contract with Creation Theatre &#8211; the only rep company in the country employing actors full-time.&nbsp;



“As an actor you go from job to job. It’s hard to get a regular gig let alone one with 28 days’ paid holiday and maternity leave. It’s amazing, we get looked after so well and it’s a great model that could easily could be picked up elsewhere,” she says. 



Born to actor parents in Banbury and raised in New York, the charismatic mum-of-two, who lives near Piddington on the Bucks/Oxon border, has been around show business her whole life. After recently relocating from London to Oxfordshire with her actor husband Gary Shelford and their two sons (Barney, 4, and Woody, 7), she was on the look out for something local and couldn’t believe her luck when she spotted an ad for Creation, which employs three other full-time actors.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Rep-Company-1-square.png" alt="Emily Woodward and the creation Theatre Company, Oxford " class="wp-image-155502" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Rep-Company-1-square.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Rep-Company-1-square-800x800.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Rep-Company-1-square-400x400.png 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Rep-Company-1-square-500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Emily with the Creation Theatre team </figcaption></figure>



A site-specific company, past productions include Much Ado About Nothing performed in an adventure playground, The Alchemist at the <a href="https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mathematical Institute</a> in Oxford and an annual Christmas show at <a href="https://www.thenorthwall.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">North Wall Theatre</a> in Summertown &#8211; it&#8217;s pretty busy! Now with the countdown on for The Boatman, here&#8217;s how Emily does her day. 







6.37am:&nbsp;I know I wake at 6.37am precisely because this is the exact time Barney barges into our room for daily snuggles. He’s autistic and pre-verbal, so it’s all big smiles, laughs and cuddles &#8211; he’s awesome.&nbsp;



7am:&nbsp;I wake up Woody, who’s a good riser &#8211; in fact sometimes he’s already up playing Lego or reading. My husband lies in while I take the boys downstairs to get ready. Magic at the Musicals radio station is playing while I make brekkie, which for me is pretty basic &#8211; a piece of toast and Marmite or bagel with cream cheese and some fruit. Then it’s the usual nagging the kids to get dressed/ put on a scarf/hat/please hurry up.&nbsp;



8.05am:&nbsp;Kids out of door. My husband does the school run, so I breathe a sigh of relief followed by a quick coffee and cuddle with our dog Teddy, a miniature golden doodle.&nbsp;



8.30am&nbsp;Get dressed. I have to wear things I can move around in easily, such as loose-fitting trousers from NEXT or comfortable leggings with trainers &#8211; no heels, tight stuff or anything fancy as I don’t want to ruin them.&nbsp;



9.15am:&nbsp;Commute to work. Creation Theatre’s rehearsal space is based in the United Reform Church in Summertown, north Oxford, which takes around 45 minutes to reach by car. There’s no on-site parking, so I tend to park and ride from <a href="https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/public-transport/park-and-ride/pear-tree-park-and-ride" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pear Tree</a>.



10am: Work begins with an hour’s singing lesson. We’re lucky to have singing director Alex Silverman come in and help us warm up our voices. It’s a lovely way to start the working day and really helps us become the tight knit ensemble we need to be.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/The-Alchemist_Emily-Playing-Dol_Credit-Les-Gordon-.jpg" alt="Emily Woodward in rehearsals with the Creation Theatre Company " class="wp-image-155503" style="aspect-ratio:1.3333333333333333;width:640px;height:auto" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/The-Alchemist_Emily-Playing-Dol_Credit-Les-Gordon-.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/The-Alchemist_Emily-Playing-Dol_Credit-Les-Gordon--800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/The-Alchemist_Emily-Playing-Dol_Credit-Les-Gordon--400x300.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Les Gordon. Rehearsals for &#8216;The Alchemist&#8217; </figcaption></figure>



11am:&nbsp;Start the text, reading through scene by scene, word by word. We break everything down, analysing what everything means, who our characters are and discuss their motivation. Sometimes we also do improvisation. It’s a much more detailed process than simply reading a script.&nbsp;



We rehearse every play for around three to four weeks. This time we’ve been lucky enough to be joined by the writer, Glyn Maxwell, for three days of rehearsals. It’s been a real blessing to be able to talk to him and discover his vision.&nbsp;



12.15pm:&nbsp;Tea break. Actors have to take a break by law, which is a bonus if there are also biscuits and cake. 



1.30pm:&nbsp;Lunchtime. I regularly nip to <a href="https://www.marksandspencer.com/stores/summertown-simply-food-4514" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marks &amp; Spencer</a> sushi counter in Summertown, though my husband’s an amazing cook so occasionally he prepares me something.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Charity_A_CHRISTMAS_CAROL-_29716-3Credit-Geraint-Lewis.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-155505" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Charity_A_CHRISTMAS_CAROL-_29716-3Credit-Geraint-Lewis.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Charity_A_CHRISTMAS_CAROL-_29716-3Credit-Geraint-Lewis-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Charity_A_CHRISTMAS_CAROL-_29716-3Credit-Geraint-Lewis-400x267.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Emily in a Christmas Carol at the North Wall Theatre, Oxford. CREDIT: Geraint Lewis</figcaption></figure>



2.30pm: Back round the table again, analysing, dissecting and discussing. We’ll also do acting games, physical warm ups, stretching and breathing exercises to keep our bodies active as well as our minds.



5pm:&nbsp;Around once a week I’ll get the train from Oxford into London to see friends or a show. Many of my friends still live in the capital and, from our nearest station Haddenham &amp; Thame, it’s only 37 minutes into Marylebone. Last Tuesday I met friends for a random night of pizza and Prosecco followed by a candle-lit string quartet Beyoncé tribute act at <a href="https://www.glaziershall.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Glazier’s Hall</a>. When I&#8217;m not going out, it&#8217;s back home to the usual: tea, bath and bedtime (7pm, Barney, 7.30pm, Woody!).&nbsp;



8pm:&nbsp;I’m married to a superman. Gary’s also an actor and when he hasn’t got a job he cooks every night. The fire will be lit, a glass of wine poured and, after we’ve eaten, we’ll sit down and watch something relaxing together. A current favourite is Traitors, we also love cooking programmes and Grand Designs.&nbsp;



1am: We’re night owls! I think because we’re actors and used to working until 10.30pm, we naturally stay up late. At weekends we do have a lie in though.&nbsp;



You can catch Emily in <a href="https://creationtheatre.co.uk/show/boatman-town/#1634802950531-188fbacd-db7c" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boatman Town</a> running from 20 Feb &#8211; 10 March in a variety of venues in Oxfordshire and London &#8211; check website for details.

A day in the life: Creation Theatre actress Emily Woodward

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