 |
|
about da 
advisers benefits coalition on charging contact da disability benefits consortium home links membership policy and campaigns search shop site map support da tax credits what's new
Playwright, Screenwriter, Actor & TV Presenter
Natasha Wood is a Nottingham lass with a remarkable story to tell. She gave up her high flying career working behind the scenes at BBC Television, to pursue a dream to write and perform her own one woman, autobiographical stage play called Rolling with Laughter. It's been a roller coaster ride that has taken her from her humble beginnings in Nottingham all the way to Hollywood , New York , Edinburgh and London 's West End .
Natasha is currently writing a book, preparing to perform her stage play all over the UK in Autumn 2010, is working alongside the UK Film Council adapting her stage play into a screenplay and is presenting on the BBC One Show and soon to appear co-presenting on the Channel 4 show 'How to Look Good Naked' .
Natasha's been proclaimed by the Mail on Sunday as Bawdy, Brazen & Brave and her play is quoted as a "spectacular evening bombarding us with laughter yet subtly guaranteeing to make almost everyone leave with a new spark of hope."
Natasha was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and has been confined to a wheelchair since birth, although there is nothing that stands in the way of this sassy and determined woman's full frontal assault on life.
Her story is an empowering, humourous, one-of-a-kind take on love, sex, lingerie, marriage, death - with a little disability thrown in - that inspires others to live as large as Natasha does on a daily basis.
Natasha is funny, articulate and a natural in front of a crowd.
A lively and energetic speaker, Natasha gives an inspirational and hilarious anecdotal speech that takes you on a rollercoaster ride from her Nottingham childhood, helping her parents with their market trading in ladies underwear, through her rapid-fire tales of a quirky family, battling her way into drama school, falling in love, working for the BBC and with a lot of drive and determination, she takes you all the way to living her dream in Hollywood.
You will experience the ups and downs of these decades of living with irrepressible good humour, pluck and quiet grit guaranteed to keep you fully engaged throughout. Wood introduces you to and plays certain characters that have influenced her life including a social worker, drama teacher, prostitute, NY cabbie, firemen, her parents and former husband - it's a tour de force of characterisation worthwhile for these vignettes alone.
"I am the luckiest girl in the world and I will tell you why"
"I believe that with enough drive, determination and humour you can achieve anything you want and chase your dream"
Natasha has had an abundance of voice over and presenter work in Television and Radio and is currently presenting on the BBC One Show and is filming as a reporter on the next series of 'How to Look Good Naked' for Channel 4.
Natasha has been the story of numerous features in National Newspapers, "A sharp wit and natural gift of the gab" Mail on Sunday You Magazine, "A Motorised Mae West" The Scotsman, "Bawdiness is Wood's stock in trade" The Telegraph and has appeared on various local radio shows as well as BBC Radio 4's Midweek with Libby Purves and BBC Radio 5 Live with Simon Mayo. Last year she was interviewed on ITV This Morning with Phil & Fern and re-appeared on the programme due to being nominated for 'Woman of the Year 2008'.
"A thoroughly enjoyable experience, Natasha's speech was both moving and hilarious but above all superbly entertaining"
Stephen Howard, Chief Executive Knowledge Matrix Ltd
"An outstanding performance and very, very much appreciated by us all at the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. A massive hit with our supporters, too. Thank you very much".
Philip Butcher, Chief Executive Muscular Dystrophy Campaign
"Hilarious and poignant, a fantastic and entertaining speech"
Paul Tetlow (Partner) Hunton & Williams Solicitors
" Natasha was brilliantly funny, tremendously thought provoking but above all wonderfully inspiring"
Jeremy Pelczer, Vice President Muscular Dystrophy Campaign
".the story of an ordinary life made extraordinary by circumstance, told with such a strongly personable delivery that you leave the room believing you have just spent an hour in the company of a close friend".
The Stage
"..performance extraordinaire...bumps and blows are safely cushioned by heartfelt humour...sensitively directed by Cameron Watson who successfully balances Wood's impressive acting, talent teasing, humour, sarcasm and wit throughout the performance".
The British Theatre Guide
"Wood has a graciousness and lack of sentimentality that serves the work very well...It shows us that sometimes the greatest liabilities can be turned into remarkable advantages".
US Backstage West
"..poignant and vivid.. A show ultimately about the brevity & purpose of life".
US LA Times
"The indelible ROLLING WITH LAUGHTER provides a SPECTACULAR evening bombarding us with laughter yet subtly guaranteeing to make almost everyone leave the theatre with a new spark of hope".
US Entertainment Today
 |
