In May 2019 David Wood OBE, actor, children's writer and director, agreed to be our President, following on from Dame June Whitfield, who passed away in December 2018.

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David has lived in Wimbledon for more than 45 years with his wife Jacqueline Stanbury, who trained as an actress at the Bristol Old Vice Theatre School and performed successfully on stage, television and film. Their two daughters with to Bishop Gilpin Primary School and Wimbledon High School.

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David was, for many years, on the boards of Polka and Wimbledon Theatres and is a patron of Wimbledon Bookfest. Like Dame June Whitfield he was, for several years, President of the Friends (now Founder Friends) of Wimbledon Theatre.

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Over the years, many of his children's production have been seen at Polka Theatre (The BFG, James and the Giant Peach & Babe, the Sheep-Pig) and at Wimbledon Theatre (The BFG, The Witches, Noddy, The Tiger Who Came to Tea & The Gingerbread Man).

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David has performed The David Wood Magic and Music Show at Polka Theatre and at Wimbledon Theatre (both in the Main House and in the Studio).

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His adaptation of Judith Kerr's The Tiger Who Came To Tea, which he also directed, is currently on a tour of England.

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Having been Chair of the charity Action for Children's Arts for many years, he is now their President.

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David is a member of the Inner Magic Circle (with Gold Star) and is a Trustee of The Story Museum in Oxford.

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David co-starred in Lindsay Anderson's iconic film If..., which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. His memoir of the time, Filming If..., with a foreword by his co-star Malcolm McDowell, was published to coincide with the anniversary.