Gypsy Wood  - “The new Queen of kink”- Time Out Sydney

After working in cabaret, burlesque and contemporary dance for over a decade Gypsy Wood has emerged as a highly original performer with a penchant for the comic, clever, shocking and divine. Gypsy aims to challenge stereotypes within popular culture, politics and modern sexuality.

Gypsy’s mother, Jeanette Luke performed as a child in Vaudeville. Then in the 60's worked as a soubrette to showgirls such as Sandra Nelson while dancing in the most famous clubs in Sydney such as the Paradise, the Checkers Club and the Motor Club. Jeanette named her first daughter after that great icon of the tease – Gypsy Rose Lee.

A graduate of the Victorian College of Arts Gypsy started her dance career in Australia, however was propelled into the performance underworld and found a life more chaotically bohemian and interesting. From jumping out of giant cakes at parties for New York’s high society to splashing around in fake blood in the dirty gay fetish clubs of Sydney, hosting London game show nights to performing in edgy offbeat comedy shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Gypsy runs the spectrum from vaudeville, variety, burlesque to comedy and contemporary performance art.

Gypsy starred in the sell out Strut n’ Fret production of 'Feasting on Flesh' at the Sydney Opera House in 2006, the Spiegeltent at the Brisbane festival and the Assembly Rooms Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2008. And later in 'Ali McGregor's Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night' at the Melbourne Town Hall for Melbourne’s International Comedy Festival and Assembly Rooms Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2009.

In the lead up to the 2007 Australian Federal Election Gypsy created and performed an act where she emerged as John Howard in an American flag bikini, stripping to Britney Spears 'hit Gimme More'. The act went on to have a You Tube cult following being sent around the Australian Labor Party. Later that year Gypsy Wood was called upon to perform her patriotic duty as an Australian Burlesque artist– when asked to strip as a playboy bunny for Australia’s current Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, on The Chaser’s War on Everything in front of 2.3 million television viewers, the next day headlines read, ‘Rudd runs like a rabbit!” The Australian, 2007

Drawing on her passion for of classic 50s cheesecake pinups, Grind-house films and old Hollywood glamour. Gypsy has translated these iconic images and ideas into modern performance and as such become a modern muse for visual artists and photographers. From sketches and paintings to match boxes Zippo lighters, postcards, playing cards, posters and calendars.

"Closing the night was Gypsy Wood, who defied the conventions of burlesque by (a) keeping her kit on, and (b) demonstrating a keen verbal wit, as she delivered a gushingly meaningless speech in the guise of a clueless teen beauty queen. Her ‘special talent’ showstopper took a while to get going – rather milking the comedy value of uncoordinated interpretive dance – but the hideous payoff was as unexpected as it was disgusting." - Steve Bennett, Chortle, 2009

"A special mention must also go to Gypsy Wood, an Australian burlesque star, for what has to be one of the most shocking and hilarious visual gags this reviewer has ever seen at the Fringe. The ticket price is almost worth it for this alone."- Neil Simpson, Edinburgh Festival Magazine 2009

"The final act was a wonderful striptease from Gypsy Wood, but to say it was a striptease doesn’t really do it justice, she appeared in the middle of the audience, a bride on her way to the altar only to be cruelly jilted as she arrived on the stage. For the rest of the piece she threw herself dementedly about the stage tearing off the bridal gown in a wild and wonderful melee of white froth, legs and primal screaming finishing off with a gorgeous reveal. It was a great finale and the audience loved every moment."- Chris Cresswell Fringe Review, 2008

"Even I fancy her!” shouts the ever more excitable girl on my table after Gypsy's penultimate costume change. And when she returns for the fourth and final game dressed only in heels, elbow-length gloves and the scantiest, spangliest thong bikini, a hundred jaws hit the table as one. Doctors fear some spectators may never recover the full use of their scorched eyeballs."- Dominic Wells,  The Times, 2008