Charity Wakefield’s new comedy Preschool arrived in UK cinemas this April, and the timing couldn’t be more fitting. The film follows two couples spiralling into increasingly absurd territory over school admissions, a premise that hits differently when you’re also a parent navigating the same anxieties in real life.
Wakefield, known for her work in The Great, Wolf Hall, and Sense and Sensibility, plays it straight within the chaos, which is exactly what makes it work. She’s always been drawn to material that holds something recognisably human underneath the surface, and Preschool is no different, finding the real discomfort inside the ridiculousness. Off screen, she’s equally busy, raising a young child, developing new projects, and running 5×5, her live theatre night at The Conduit Club, where five writers produce five short plays in a single evening.
For this 18 Questions, she talks parenthood, competitiveness, and why the work she cares most about right now is the kind that gets people in the same room.
1. What’s the first thing you usually do when you wake up in the morning?
Try to get outside in the fresh air and feel the breeze as soon as possible. I love the early morning light and getting out it helps me sleep better at night.
2. You’re balancing work with being a parent at the moment, how has that shifted your day-to-day rhythm?
Well, I used to be a night owl and still always get 8 hours of sleep, but now I’m having to be a bit more disciplined with my time. I have a lot of irons in the fire at the moment with different projects and so with juggling parenting, it’s fair to say I have to work in broken shorter periods, it’s all got to be done within school hours! I’m getting better at doing things in short bursts; 30 minute writing stints, 15 minute zooms, 20 minute gardening sessions, 10 minute producing brainstorms, 7 minutes yoga sessions and line learning happens at the same time as walking the dog, but it’s brilliant I think the movement helps me remember! I’ve definitely got a lot going on, it’s a project juke box in my mind.
3. Preschool taps into a very real anxiety for parents, what was your first reaction when you read the script?
It does absolutely tap into that parental feeling of wanting the absolute best for your child, being worried about what exactly the best is. My child was about to start primary school at the time so I was in exactly the head space, I felt like I was going to be able to channel a lot of my own feelings and observations into the work! When I met Josh the director (and co-star of the film) he encouraged me to make the character my own, he said we would be able to improvise on set, and I went away and wrote extra scenes and sections that made into the film so that was amazing! I know Antonia Thomas also wrote for it and we even worked one together. Heaven.
4. Did it feel slightly too close to home at times, or was there a sense of relief in being able to laugh at it?
Yes, and YES, we did laugh a lot! Being a parent is so all-consuming. I think some of the feelings that come up about how to give your child the best start can be related to your own childhood, and to what your own life has been like. This film tracks two couples competing for their kids future, a place at a prestigious school, and what they want in life for their kids.
5. The film takes something familiar and pushes it into absurd territory, how did you find that balance in your performance?
Josh wanted the characters to feel real, and to play it all seriously and it’s just the situations that are absurd. The characters have to be really invested and believe in all the madness. My character Lauren was fun to play, but I was keen to root her in something real, especially her connection to her daughter.
6. What was the dynamic like on set working alongside Josh Duhamel, Michael Socha and Antonia Thomas?
We had a blast filming Preschool honestly, it was mad at times, and hard to keep a straight face. Hats off to Michael Socha who is such a brilliant and sharp improviser, basically every scene we shot the lines on the page but then were allowed to play around it.
7. There’s a competitiveness in Preschool that feels almost primal, what do you think it says about modern parenting culture?
It exposes a fractured system where access isn’t equal, and where knowing the right people can make all the difference. It also looks at how people react under pressure, especially how competitiveness can spiral.
8. You’ve worked across everything from period drama to comedy, what draws you to a project now?
It’s always the stories. I’m getting particularly interested in collective stories at the moment, and how groups of people come together and what happens in those dynamics.
9. Looking back at roles like Sense and Sensibility and Wolf Hall, do you approach historical work differently to something contemporary like Preschool?
Historical work feels strangely familiar to me now, I love the research side of it. Contemporary work can actually be more challenging because it’s about capturing something specific about the present moment.
10. Is there a role from your past that still lingers with you or changed the way you see your work?
Playing Shakespeare in Emilia was transformative. It made me rethink confidence and the kinds of roles I’d been stepping into before.
11. You’ve played characters across such a wide emotional spectrum, how do you reset between roles?
I get very consumed in projects as a whole, not just the character. Producing has helped me separate things more and find clarity when I’m acting.
12. What does a good creative environment look like for you, whether that’s on set or in rehearsal?
One where people are listening to each other and having fun. Understanding how everyone works makes everything smoother.
13. When you’re not working, what helps you switch off completely?
Being outdoors. I love being in the woods, gardening, growing food. It’s where I properly reset.
14. You’re launching 5×5, a new theatre night at The Conduit Club, what sparked the idea?
We wanted to create a space where writers could experiment and see their work performed quickly, in front of a real audience. It felt important to bring people together again.
15. What can people expect from the night, and what makes it different from a typical theatre experience?
It’s fast, raw, and collaborative. The plays are performed script-in-hand after minimal rehearsal, so you’re seeing something very immediate and alive.
16. Why do you think it’s important to create space for emerging voices right now?
It’s about connection. People need spaces to share ideas, experiment, and not feel like everything has to be polished or commercial.
17. Do you see yourself moving further into producing or developing your own projects?
Definitely. I already have a number of projects in development and I’m excited to keep building that side of things.
18. Looking ahead, what excites you most about this next chapter, both creatively and personally?
Getting outside more, making work, and enjoying life alongside it. It’s about balance, and making sure there’s space for both.
Preschool is available now on Paramount Movies, Apple TV, Prime Video
Photography Olivia Spencer
Hair and Makeup Abbigail Richards
