Sarah Woodward
Sarah is a RADA-trained, award-winning actor. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Tony Awards 2000 for The Real Thing, won Best Supporting Actress at the Olivier Awards 1998 for Tom & Clem, won the Shakespeare’s Globe Classic Award 1993 for The Tempest, and won Best Supporting Actress at the Clarence Derwent Awards 1989 for Artist Descending a Staircase.
Sarah’s theatre credits include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Nell Gwynn, The Sea, Wild Oats, Present Laughter, The Cherry Orchard This House and Quiz in the West End. She has played leading roles at the National Theatre, the RSC, the Globe, the Royal Court, the Donmar, the Almeida and Hampstead theatres among others. She recently played Eileen Herlie in the West End transfer of Jack Thorne/Sam Mendes’ The Motive and the Cue alongside Mark Gatiss, which opened to five-star reviews, and was nominated for the Olivier for Best New Play.
Her film credits include Supernova, Bright Young Things and I Captured The Castle.
On television Sarah’s numerous credits include Quiz, The Pale Horse, The Politician’s Wife, Loving Miss Hato, Hear The Silence, Endeavour and Outnumbered. Her most recent credits include Queens of Mystery, in which she co-stars with Julie Graham, Siobhan Redmond and Florence Hall for Acorn TV/Channel 5, and Professor T, in which she plays regular character Ingrid Snares alongside Ben Miller. Series 1-3 are available on ITV Hub; she recently completed photography on series 4. She features in the second series of House of the Dragon on HBO.
The Motive and the Cue
Reviews for the West End transfer of Motive
The Times – 5 stars
The Telegraph – 5 stars
Broadway World – ‘Another highlight of the company is Sarah Woodward as Eileen Herlie, who stuns in her brief moments as Gertrude’
Professor T Series 3
Sarah plays opposite Ben Miller and Frances de la Tour in Professor T – S3 available to watch on ITV Hub
Queens of Mystery
Sarah co-stars with Julie Graham, Siobhan Redmond and Florence Hall in this comedy-drama murder-mystery for AcornTV/Channel 5, airing from Saturday 12 March at 9.15pm for five weeks.
Professor T
Sarah features alongside Ben Miller, Juliet Aubrey and Frances de la Tour in Professor T for BritBox/ITV, and is filming the second series.
The Haystack
Sarah has been cast in The Haystack at the Hampstead Theatre. It will run from 31 January until 7 March
One for Sorrow
Sarah has been cast in the Royal Court’s production of One for Sorrow by Cordelia Lynn
Quiz Reviews
Reviews for Quiz at the Noel Coward Theatre are in!
- “[James Graham] and his stage Ingrams, are immeasurably aided in this by Sarah Woodward whose riveting, quietly furious performance as the defence counsel is far and away the most rounded and recognisably human character on the stage.” WhatsOnStage
- “Credit is also due to Sarah Woodward for her less showy but more nuanced portrait of Sonia Woodley, defense lawyer to the Ingrams and the most relatably human figure in the drama” The Hollywood Reporter
- “Quiz manages to register the personal tragedy of the Ingrams, analyse the notion of fair play (Life is rigged! exclaims one of his less savoury supporters), touch on present politics, overflow with information and ideas and to be huge fun.” The Independent
- “En route, Graham whizzes us through the enduring British love of quizzes as light entertainment, as Keir Charles plays a quick-change succession of famous televisual quizmasters, before morphing into a wonderfully smirking Chris Tarrant. This Quiz comes up with a pretty decent score.” Evening Standard
- “In Quiz, not only has [James Graham]shed light on one of the biggest scandals in British television history, but he’s also chronicled the nation’s love-in with light entertainment in the process.” London Theatre
- “Playwright James Graham has mined an entertaining confection from the affair and its subsequent court case in 2003.” The Arts Desk
- “If you’re a quiz nut, then this will be right up your street. An ode to quizzing, and the people who quiz, it shows us why we fell for it.” RadioTimes
- “It is an extremely fun evening. But it has a lot of smart points to make, most pointedly that the reality TV era and the fake news era are effectively the same thing, and that our hunger to see everything as a story or narrative means those stories can be tampered with.” TimeOut
- “A question of justice becomes nail-biting entertainment and certainty flies out the window. Very neat. Very welcome.” The Telegraph
Quiz Transfers to the West End
After a stellar run at the Chichester Festival Theatre, Quiz will be transferring to the West End!
Quiz will be playing the the Noel Coward Theatre from 31st March – 16th June 2018.
Reviews for Quiz
The reviews are in for Quiz:
- “Quiz is compelling; a unique, slick, innovative and ambitious production that delivers in plenty of style. It is full of engaging humour and astute observations on popular culture and absorbingly immersive” Carl Eldridge, Chichester News
- “Phone a friend the coughing major’s tale is a fascinating watch” The Times
- “The way [James Graham] tallies the tale with a broader look at truth and lies, is his own particular brand of genius.” The Telegraph
- “Sarah Woodward spectacularly powerful as the defending barrister” What’s on Stage
Reviews in for 'This House' at the Garrick, West End
The West End transfer of James Graham’s This House, directed by Jeremy Herrin, receives glowing, 5 star reviews.
The press on Sarah Woodward & This House:
- “The surrounding cast…provide a riot of colour, life and terrible flares. Three hours and almost five years fly by in a moment. This House is a remarkable achievement for all concerned.” 5 stars, Sarah Crompton, What’s On Stage
- “Sarah Woodward’s comic timing is a terrific addition to uncontrollable Labour rebel Audrey Wise” 4 stars, Heather Neill, The Stage
- “…truly an ensemble effort without a weak link in sight…” 5 stars, Theo Bosanquet, TimeOut
- “…masterful…a landslide success” 5 stars, Fiona Mountford, Evening Standard
- “The show is so lucid, fascinating and well-staged by director Jeremy Herrin, with an excellent, budget-busting ensemble of 16, it deserves an audience at any time.” 4 stars, Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph
- “The whole ensemble contributes to a thrilling play that both relives history and transcends it.” 5 stars, Michael Billington, The Guardian
Reviews in for 'This House' at the Chichester Festival Theatre
Fantastic reviews are in for The National Theatre’s production of This House at the Chichester Festival Theatre.
The press on This House:
- “You know you’re in good company when Tony award nominee Sarah Woodward is playing several minor supporting roles each very different and equally well-rounded” James Butler, The News
- “The cast, so strong in number and experience that you forget at times this is a recreation”Gary Shipton, Worthing Herald
- “Excellent evening’s entertainment.” 4.5 stars, Bill Avenell, Reviews Hub
- “Performances are superb” Sheila Connor, British Theatre Guide
This House plays at the Minerva Theatre, before transferring to The Garrick, West End on the 19th November 2016.
This House
Sarah Woodward joins the cast of This House, directed by Jeremy Herrin.
This House will play at the Chichester Festival Theatre from 23rd September – 29th October, before going on to the Garrick Theatre, West End.
Sarah Woodward in 'New Blood'
Sarah Woodward plays Mrs. Clayton in the BBC’s upcoming new crime drama New Blood.
The series will premiere on BBC iPlayer in 2016, before a seven week slot BBC One.
Reviews for Sarah Woodward in 'Nell Gwynn'
Sarah Woodward played Ma Gwynn and Queen Catherine in the Globe’s hugely successful Nell Gwynn. Sarah performed in both the original production at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2015, and in the West End transfer at the Apollo Theatre in 2016.
The press on Sarah Woodward in Nell Gwynn:
At the Apollo –
- “Sarah Woodward coming close to stealing the show when portraying the rightly enraged Portuguese wife of Charles II. Let’s just say you don’t need to understand Portuguese to catch her drift.” Matthew Amer, Official London Theatre
- “Everyone, from Greg Haiste’s intensely frustrated Kynaston to Sarah Woodward’s flaming Portuguese-cursing Queen Catherine, transforms the Apollo into an incredibly uplifting and notoriously fun evening” – Camilla Gurtler, A Younger Theatre
- “The French mistress and Queen Catherine were absolutely hilarious; the audience knew exactly what they were talking about even though it was in a foreign language, a gag reminiscent of Miriam Margolyes in Blackadder.” – Harriet Hards
- “Superb [cameo] from Sarah Woodward…suitably overblown and over-painted” – Edward Lukes, Once A Week Theatre
At the Globe –
- “The men could have taken a leaf out of Sarah Woodward’s book when it came to making your presence being felt on-stage. Woodward who plays Nell’s brothel ageing mother Old Ma Gwynn stole the second act in a single moment” Sandip Kana, What’s On London
- “At one point, Sarah Woodward as Nell’s gin-sodden but stylish mother plucks a plastic mug full of beer from a ‘groundling’, an audience member in the pit, and drains the lot much to the delight of the audience.” Neil Norman, The Express
- “Sarah Woodward managed to be unrecognizably different as the bilious Queen Catherine and Nell’s brothel-keeper mother, Ma Gwynn.” Tim Hochstrasser, British Theatre
- “Sarah Woodward also does double duty as the neglected Queen and Nell’s brothel madam mother, the latter vividly accusing Nell of abandoning her roots before downing a pint nicked from a groundling.” Marianka Swain, The Arts Desk
- “Sarah Woodward provides a duo of two contrasting, yet wonderfully over-the-top characterisations of Queen Catherine, and the particularly cheeky Ma Gwynn” Louise Quench, Female Arts
'Nell Gwynn' wins the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy
Nell Gwynn, which features Sarah Woodward as Ma Gwynn and Queen Catherine, won the award for BEST NEW COMEDY at the 2016 Olivier Awards.
The play, which first played at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2015, played at the Apollo Theatre, West End, finishing in April 2016.
5 Star reviews for 'Richard II'
Sarah Woodward played the Duchess of York in Simon Godwin’s Richard II, which ran at Shakespeare’s Globe from 22nd July – 18th October 2015, and which received glowing 5 Star reviews.
The press on Sarah and Richard II:
- “Sarah Woodward is a superbly determined Duchess, whose kneeling scene as she begs forgiveness for her rebel son…is one of the dramatic and comic highlights of the production.” Stage Seen
- “Sarah Woodward judiciously combines comedy with a mother’s pleadings” – Clare Brennan, The Guardian
- “…late bouquets to Sarah Woodward as his unshakable spouse” – Ismene Brown, The Arts Desk
- “Sarah Woodward brings an antic energy to the proceedings late-on involving the fiercely maternal Duchess of York.” – Matt Wolf, The New York Times
- “Excellent performances from…Sarah Woodward’s vigorous Duchess.” – Will Day-Brosnan, Plays To See
- “Sarah Woodward’s passionate Duchess of York” – Henry Hitchings, Evening Standard
- “Highly intelligent and fast-moving production” 5 Stars – Michael Coveney, What’s On Stage