Victoria Wood
Posted in Events dear boy. Events at 00:03 on 21 April 2016
I was totally shocked to hear of the death of Victoria Wood. She always seemed so vital. And now she hasn’t had the chance to grow old.
She was a superb entertainer with lines that struck. Even yet when I walk through the cosmetic department of a high street chain (why are they always at the shop entrance?) I intone to myself – with appropriate nasality – “Hello, and welcome to the wonderful world of Sach…..er..el.”
I can’t say I remember her appearance on the talent show New Faces. The first time I really noticed her ability was in the TV showing of her play Talent, in which she starred along with Julie Walters her long time collaborator and friend, and its sequel Nearly a Happy Ending.
The sketch shows Wood and Walters and Victoria Wood as Seen on TV established her signature style, a coterie of actors (Walters, Duncan Preston and Celia Imrie) whom she would work with extensively, and her sublime parody of bad soap opera Acorn Antiques.
Not only was she a play and sketch writer, she could also play the piano, write songs and was a very good serious actress.
But perhaps her greatest achievement was the two series of the sitcom dinnerladies, a wonderful ensemble piece where all the characters got a share of the action – and the good lines.
With the possible exception of Bren’s mother in dinnerladies (so wonderfully played by Walters) she managed to treat all of her characters with compassion. No matter how flawed they might be they were living human beings with inner selves and anguishes.
Once seen and heard who could forget The Ballad of Barry and Freda, commonly known as Let’s Do It. “Bend me over backwards on me hostess trolley.” “Beat me on the bottom with a Woman’s Weekly.) Priceless. The week that was first aired it was also featured on the TV round-up show Did You See? hosted by Ludovic Kennedy. At its end Kennedy couldn’t control his laughter.
Victoria Wood: The Ballad of Barry and Freda
Victoria Wood: 19/5/1953 – 20/4/2016. So it goes.
Tags: Acorn Antiques, Celia Imrie, dinnerladies, Duncan Preston, Julie Walters, Let's Do It, New Faces, The Ballad of Barry and Freda, Victoria Wood, Victoria Wood as Seen on TV, Wood and Walters
Victoria Wood 1953-2016 | Pining for the West
21 April 2016 at 00:11
[…] To see what Jack said about Victoria on his blog look here. […]